There's conflict about whether you can "spot reduce".
I had spinal surgery 9 months ago and lost most of my muscle and have learned soooo much from the experience. I'm just now starting to gain back my muscles.
I learned that you can "spot firm" which does reduce the area so one could argue that constitutes spot reduction.
Losing the fat around the muscle is needed to truly reduce the area but some women are thin and still have "love handles".
I've been struggling with "love handles" since my surgery. I'm doing lots of firming exercises for my core body to get rid of the flab around my middle and it's beginning to reduce the hang around my waist.
I also learned that having a six pack is not good for your health. You can have a flat stomach but to go for the ripple causes problems such as back problems , stress on your internal organs and breathing issues.
If your abs are too tight they pull on your back and can straighten the natural curve in your back that allows it to have the strength to support your body. Back problems can follow.
If your upper abs are too tight they are like a band around your lungs. They prevent you from getting oxygen into your lungs affectively. They also squish your internal organs.
So think twice before you decide to go for the six pack but doing a healthy amount of ab exercises can improve the look and health of your structure.
There's a "middle" ground to having a healthy middle section. You need to work your abs. Simply doing aerobics generally will not do the trick.
So, can you spot reduce? I believe you can improve the look and health of your abs by doing exercises directed exclusively toward them.
Your fitness expert
Lynn
www.getrealfit.org
