GP shared a resistance training exercise routine which may also help your memory, sleep and even help you live longer
It’s the time of year when people are making the last push towards getting as fit as possible for those beach photos on their summer holidays. As such holidaymakers often start trying to cut calories and enter a frenzy of cardio sport such as running, or spin classes.
However there may be a better way to shift the pounds. Techno Gym says: “Despite what fitness influencers and flashy ads claim, science says you can’t “spot reduce” fat from your stomach, or any specific area, for that matter. Dozens of studies have confirmed it: doing endless ab workouts won’t magically melt belly fat. That’s because fat loss doesn’t work like a laser, and it’s more like a dimmer switch, influenced by your entire body, not just the muscles you’re targeting.”
Diet guru Michael Mosley, who sadly died after going missing on a Greek holiday, previously highlighted a form of exercise that is more effective at burning belly fat than cardio. Speaking on his Radio 4 ‘Stay Young’ programme, Dr Mosley revealed that scientific research demonstrated it targeted the abdominal area more effectively – while also delivering additional benefits such as boosting memory, improving sleep and even extending your lifespan.
The revelation will be of particular interest to anyone hoping to make one final push to get in shape ahead of their summer holiday. On the podcast Dr Mosley opened with himself mid-workout, saying: “Today I’m doing something that will not only help me stay strong but should also improve my memory, my sleep, my waistline, make me look good and perhaps even help me live longer. I’ve been doing press-ups.
“I try to do at least 30 of these every day, followed by at least 30 squats. Resistance exercises are the quickest and simplest way to improve your muscle mass. Gym bunnies have long known this. But it is something we should all do and that’s because maintaining your muscle mass is one of the best ways to preserve your health as you get older. Unless you do resistance exercises your muscles start to decline after the age of 30.”
Dr Mosley explained that research has demonstrated remarkable transformations can occur within a surprisingly brief period. He said: “Your muscles have a remarkable ability to regenerate in response to resistance training. Studies have shown that in just 12 weeks you can increase your muscle mass by up to 10 per cent and your strength by up to 150 per cent.
“This can impact your whole body. For a start, it can give your brain a boost. A review of dozens of studies on the effects of exercise on the over 50s has shown that both aerobic and resistance training are good for the brain but researchers found that resistance training was especially good for memory and executive function which includes things like problem-solving.”
Addressing the issue of belly fat, Dr Mosley stated that weight-based exercise was proven to be the most effective method of tackling it. He added: “Resistance exercise can also help you lose fat, particularly around your belly. Researchers at Harvard University followed around 10,000 men for 12 years and they found minute-for-minute strength training targets belly fat better than cardio.
“That’s important because the fat that accumulates around your belly doesn’t just sit there passively, it produces chemicals that can have a negative effect on your blood sugar levels.
“Muscle cells on the other hand have a positive effect. When you exercise they soak up blood sugars like a sponge. In fact one study found that for every 10 per cent increase in your skeletal muscle, there was a 10 per cent reduction in your risk of pre-diabetes.
“Which means not only does building muscle make you look and feel younger but it could also add years to your life. A recent analysis found that 30-60 minutes of resistance training a week, reduces the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer by up to 20 per cent.
“Why does it have such an impact? Well, resistance exercise seems to rejuvenate you at the cellular level.”
Professor Abigail Mackey from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark said: “I think that heading into old age if you really want to go in with the best conditions possible for maintaining independent living for as long as possible then you need to using weights which for most people means having access to a gym. The squats and the push-ups are excellent because they train so many muscles.”
Techno Gym also suggested that resistance exercise was the way to go. It said: “The best exercise to lose belly fat combines resistance training with strategic cardio in a burning workout format. Circuit training excels by maintaining elevated heart rate while building muscle: this combination burns up to 30% more calories than either approach alone.”
