The internet is full of exercises meant to tone specific body parts, most commonly abdominal fat. Can the body lose fat from specific parts or weight loss is an absolute process always? Ankita Matondkar, associate consultant, sports medicine and rehabilitation, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, says: “Doing abdominal exercises won’t specifically melt away belly fat.
What abdominal exercises do is strengthen the muscles underneath, but they don’t selectively burn the fat covering those muscles. When we lose body fat, the body mobilises fat from different areas, and where and how quickly this happens varies from person to person. Regular exercise can help reduce overall body fat, including abdominal and visceral fat, but this generally happens as part of an overall change in body composition rather than through spot reduction.”
How does lifting weights work, as most gym goers are focused on weights, and social media is full of advice on how weights are more important than cardio? Which is better for overall health, including maintaining optimum weight?
It is not really a question of cardio versus weights – they do different jobs. Cardio trains the heart and lungs and contributes to energy expenditure, while resistance training builds and maintains muscle strength and lean mass. Both are important components of a healthy exercise routine. If the goal is long-term health or managing weight, combining aerobic activity with regular resistance training, along with appropriate nutrition, provides a well-rounded approach.
Weights is something of a new fad, as generations before us never lifted weights, but lived to be agile and healthy. So, what does medical science advise — is it imperative, or is it just a good additional exercise?
Lifting weights isn’t a recent invention. Previous generations often developed strength through farm work, manual labour and other physically demanding activities. What we understand better today is the importance of maintaining muscle strength and mass throughout life, particularly as we get older. Current health guidelines recommend regular muscle-strengthening activity alongside aerobic exercise. This does not necessarily mean lifting heavy weights; resistance bands, body-weight exercises, and other forms of resistance training can also be effective, with the form and intensity adapted to the individual.
Can everyone lift weights? Who are the ones that should not?
Most people can take part in resistance training, with the type and intensity adjusted to suit their age, fitness level, physical capacity and health status. People with certain medical conditions, significant cardiovascular symptoms, recent surgery, acute injuries, or other health concerns may need assessment and appropriate guidance before starting or progressing their training. Having a chronic condition does not automatically mean that someone should avoid exercise; in many cases, exercise can be safely modified to suit the individual. For healthy adults, the basics still matter: good technique, gradual progression, appropriate resistance, and adequate recovery.