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Spot reduction debunked

  • Published
  • By Mandy Baerman
  • Health and Wellness Center physiologist
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Exercise is one of those fields where a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous -- how many of us have friends who give "expert" advice that they got from "a guy who knows a guy who used to be the personal trainer for Chuck Norris?" This is the first article in a series addressing exercise myths, frequently asked questions, and common exercise misconceptions.

The first topic I'll tackle is the myth of spot reduction. This is the incorrect theory that you can remove fat from a specific area of your body through specialized exercises, e.g. doing crunches to reduce fat on your abs, or leg lifts to reduce your thighs. Contrary to what infomercials and magazine ads claim, there is no such thing as spot reduction. You cannot target specific areas for fat loss, you can only alter your overall body fat.

Abdominal exercises, such as crunches will certainly help define the muscles in the abdominal region, but the fat surrounding them is not broken down when you perform that activity.

The Air Force abdominal circumference measurement is based upon the correlation between intra-abdominal fat and morbidity rates. Intra-abdominal fat is the fat that collects around your organs in your lower abs. The more fat that you carry in that area, the more at-risk you are for diabetes, obesity, some cancers and heart disease. Many of my clients argue that they are large-framed and weigh more due to muscle mass. In my experience, most of those people, regardless of their frame size, are still carrying extra fat in their waist and could stand to reduce it by an inch or five.

If you are working to reduce your waist size for the Air Force PT test, the best options are cardiovascular activities, portion control and adjusting your caloric intake. In other words, output more than you input-exercise more and eat less. Cardio activities are easy to find at Osan. The fitness center has plenty of machines: ellipticals, treadmills, upright and recumbent bikes, and stair climbers. Additionally, running and swimming are great ways to burn a large number of calories. Walking everywhere is a great way to augment your cardiovascular program, but it is not a substitution for a good workout!

Waist reduction does not happen overnight. At the most, you should lose 1 and-a-half to 2 pounds per week. An inch or more of waist reduction may take 90 plus days. Remember, you didn't gain the inches overnight, you won't lose them overnight either ... not even Chuck Norris (or his personal trainer) can do that!

For individual exercise and nutrition consults, contact the Osan Health and Wellness Center at 784-4292.