Alma Jones

Question: What kind of exercise is effective for losing weight in the hip area? (from Adrian of Manila, Philippines)

Dr. Alma Jones says: When you perform a certain type of exercise in hopes of shedding the extra fat in one specific area of your body, that is called spot reduction.

Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth. Your body determines where it gets the energy during exercise; moving your abs does not guarantee that you will be burning abdominal fat. In much the same manner, no exercise will burn the fat found solely on your hips. It’s a global thing – fat from the rest of your body will also be used. It just depends on your genes as to which body fat gets utilized quicker.

If you want to lose the extra weight you’ve been seeing on your hips, you are going to have to lose weight the old fashioned way: by dieting and exercise. Sorry, there is no one-shot exercise that will make you lose the fat padding on your hips.

There are easy ways to make sure your exercise routine will help you effectively shed the extra pounds. I will be listing some surefire ways to maximize your time at the gym; I’ll be jotting down tips for you soon, so stay tuned for my next post!