General
Fitness Questions
Shoes
What
to think about when buying shoes for exercise:
Only if the shoe fits 
Getting into running
How to successfully start a running program:
Walk
before you run
Benefits of exercise
How exercise can improve thinking at work:
Vigorous
exercise and brain function
Q: Can the ab machines sold on
TV really get rid of "love
handles"?
A: One of the many myths of toning "love handles" is that abdominal
exercises cause fat loss in a specified area. That you can cause spot-specific
reduction of fat could not be further from the truth.
New Zealanders who have purchased and used abdominal exercise machines in an
effort to lose weight around their middles will tell you that their efforts may
have been in vain. Abdominal exercise machines can do nothing more than strengthen
and tighten the abdominal muscles.
The best way to lose fat is through improved eating habits coupled with cardiovascular
exercise. You must understand that performing abdominal exercises can, at best,
cause people to lose weight by burning calories of carbohydrates but not calories
of fat.
There are two ways to lose fat, one is to perform certain aerobic exercises that
will speed up the metabolism and therefore burn fat, and the other is to use
a calorie controlled diet.
People in general are misinformed about loss and exercise and do not know any
better. Moreover, manufacturers of abdominal exercise machines know this and
take advantage of the average person's desperation to lose weight. It is against
the law for companies to lie outright about performing abdominal exercises to
attain fat loss.
In fine print, you will always see that a healthy nutritional plan should be
used in conjunction with the product for best results. So, if you do indeed
intend on tightening your "love handles" by using their abdominal exercise,
your efforts may be in vain if not coupled with diet modification.
It is possible to attain fat loss on a healthy diet with zero exercise. But
it is not possible to lose weight by eating an unhealthy diet even with all
the
exercise in the world. Fat reduction of the "love handles" can be attained
at the fastest rate possible by following a calorie controlled diet and even
faster
when combined with certain types of cardiovascular exercises. Why waste time
and effort with products that will not help you to tone your abdomen when a
combination of exercise and healthy diet is your best bet.
Refer to
the
FITTER FIGURE program for a healthy diet and exercise program which can help
you lose weight
Note: As always, consult with your health-care provider before beginning
any fitness program. 
