Many people want to get rid of belly fat or other specific areas of body fat. However, no matter how much they try, they cannot seem to be able to shed fat from these particular places.

This common belief that one can target specific areas of fat for loss is referred to as spot reduction. Unfortunately for those looking for a quick fix, spot reduction is nothing but a myth often promoted by poorly-informed fitness gurus and marketers.

What is Spot Reduction?

Spot reduction is defined as the belief that you can reduce the fat in one area of your body by exercising that specific area. For example, doing countless sit-ups in an attempt to lose belly fat would be considered spot reduction.

The theory behind spot reduction seems simple: if you target a specific part of your body with exercise, the fat in that area will be burned for energy and eventually reduce in size.

Why Spot Reduction is a Myth

Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth. When we burn calories during exercise, our bodies do not selectively pick from the fat stores in the area being exercised. Instead, fat is burned from all areas of the body, including the targeted area.

The body simply doesn’t have the ability to choose where it burns fat from for energy.

Moreover, spot reduction doesn’t account for genetics, which can also determine where we store fat in our bodies. For example, some people may store more fat in their belly area while others may store it in their thighs or arms.

Everyone’s body is different, and there is no guarantee that you will lose fat from a specific area just by exercising it.

Why Belly Fat is Stubborn

Belly fat is often the most troublesome area for people seeking to lose weight. This is because belly fat is made up of two types of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat is the fat that you can pinch with your fingers, while visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your internal organs.

Visceral fat is the more harmful of the two, as it has been linked to numerous health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. However, visceral fat is also more difficult to lose than subcutaneous fat because it is metabolically active.

This means that it responds differently to exercise and diet than subcutaneous fat.

How to Lose Belly Fat

While spot reduction is a myth, there are ways that you can lose belly fat. The most effective way to lose belly fat is to combine a healthy diet with regular exercise.

Diet plays a crucial role in weight loss. Even if you exercise regularly, if you are consuming more calories than your body needs, you will not be able to lose weight.

To lose belly fat, you need to be in a caloric deficit, which means that you are consuming fewer calories than you are burning.

When it comes to exercise, you want to focus on a combination of resistance training and cardio. Resistance training is important because it increases muscle mass, which in turn increases your metabolism and helps you burn more calories.

Cardio is important because it helps you burn calories and lose fat.

The Bottom Line

Spot reduction is a myth. While you may be able to build muscle and tone a specific area of your body by exercising it, you cannot selectively burn fat from that area.

Instead, to lose belly fat or any other area of fat, you need to focus on a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise. Of course, this takes time and effort, but it is the only way to get long-lasting results.