Anyway, so even though I already kind of knew the answer to my issue, the other day I still decided to conduct a few google searches. I typed in things like “lower belly fat” and “lower ab exercises,” curious to see if there was any info out there that I didn’t know about.
Instead, what I found just ended up pissing me off.
Health, Fitness & Happiness: A Look at the Bigger Picture
I already knew that, for the most part, you cannot target fat loss (some research begs to differ, but the majority of science points to the fact that it’s mostly not possible), yet the majority of the articles I came across during my search simply presented a bunch of different exercises that you can do to “burn” lower belly fat without any context about how for truly successful fat loss, you need a complete and balanced workout routine, as well as a healthy hold on other factors like diet, sleep, and stress.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with explaining and suggesting ab exercises, even moves that can specifically target a certain area, but the problem with so many of these articles and all of the others like them (this trend basically applies to almost all body parts—arms, inner thighs, etc.) is that they fail to provide the reader with the bigger picture.
Half the time when you click an article featuring exercises that promise to help you get “sexy arms,” or “slimmer legs,” or a “flatter tummy,” no one tells you that those exercises are only one part of the process. Not to mention, I’m also getting really tired of exercise being promoted solely as a means of improving your appearance, rather than as a way to better your health and countless other important aspects of your life.
I get it. We want to quickly learn five great upper body exercises or ten killer core moves, and that’s fine, as long as we can first understand it within the greater context of fitness and exercise as a whole.
Basically, what I’m saying is, there are no magic exercises. There are no magic foods. There’s no magic anything.
Sure, you can benefit from adding those thigh-slimming/arm-sculpting/belly-flattening exercises to your workout routine. But that’s not all.
Don’t forget about following a plan that will allow you to progress. Don’t forget about cardio. Don’t forget about eating well. Don’t forget about getting enough sleep every night. Don’t forget about letting your body recover between workouts. Don’t forget about your happiness and mental health, too.
Don’t forget about the bigger picture.
You guys get what I’m saying, right? It’s OK to want to better your appearance, but don’t let that shift your focus from the bigger picture and the fact that achieving any health or fitness goal should be about finding balance in all areas of your life and taking actual good care of yourself.
I am nowhere close to perfect but I really do try my hardest to make this message clear in my fitness and exercise writing by always keeping these ideas in mind. It’s my goal to relay this message to as many people as possible.