Infomercials and advertisements offer compelling reasons to purchase a special gadget or device that will work your abdominal muscles. However, the American Council on Exercise's Jessica Matthews says you don't need these devices to get a good workout. Moreover, if you want to lose belly fat, using one of these gadgets won't give you the rippled abs you want.
Myths
The most important thing you need to know before you shell out cash for an exercise device that promises it will whittle away belly fat is that this kind of fat cannot be whittled, at least not in that particular way. David Swain, Ph.D., with the American College of Sports Medicine, says the notion of spot reduction around your waist is a fantasy. No number of exercises that target your abs will help you lose belly fat. These gadgets and machines can be used to strengthen the muscles in your core to a limited degree.
Devices
Abdominal exercise devices don't work any better than conventional exercises, no equipment needed. Matthews notes that research conducted on two popular rolling gadgets indicated that you work your abdominal exercises only slightly harder. One heavily-advertised device that has you using a rocking motion was even deemed 80 percent less effective by ACE than doing regular crunches. However, there is one piece of exercise equipment that might be of benefit, an exercise ball. A 2001 study sponsored by ACE ranked crunches performed on a stability ball as one of the top three most effective ab exercises.
Exercise
Gadgets that spot reduce won't trim the fat around your tummy, but regular exercise will. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a brisk 30-minute walk every day can prevent excess belly fat from accumulating. If you want to whittle it down more, you may need to put in more time or increase the intensity of your exercise. Stubborn visceral fat -- the fat that lies deep in your abdomen -- may be the first to melt away with aerobic exercise. Couple this with strength-training sessions and a reduced calorie diet and belly fat can become a thing of the past.
Tips
Abdominal exercises have other benefits than giving you a more shapely core, Matthews says. They give you better posture, reduce lower back pain and fitness benefits that let you perform other exercises more easily. Matthews advises doing a variety of abdominal exercises, but no more than 10 to 25 repetitions of each. If you find that you can do more than 25 repetitions, you might be performing them too quickly or using the wrong form.
References
- American Council on Exercise; The Truth About Ab Exercise Equipment; Jessica Matthews, MS
- American College of Sports Medicine; Consumers should exercise caution on fitness machine claims (April 2009)
- American Council on Exercise; American Council on Exercise (ACE)-sponsored Study Reveals Best and Worst Abdominal Exercises
- Cleveland Clinic; What's Your Gut Tell You?
Member Comments