减肥能不能只减掉肚子上的赘肉

Whether you have some extra weight in your upper arms or rear end, it makes sense that targeting those areas with exercise would slim them down.

不管你是上臂肉多还是屁股肉多，针对这些身体部位进行锻炼能减肥的说法似乎是有道理的。

Weight-loss experts refer to this as "spot reduction." But it turns out that in most cases, this kind of laser-focused weight loss isn't possible. One study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that six weeks of intensive ab workouts did nothing to slim the exercisers' midsections. A related study found that 12-weeks of one-armed workouts resulted in less loose skin in the trained arm, but zero fat loss.

减肥专家称此为"局部瘦身"。但结果表明，在大多数情况下，这种以激光为主的减肥方法是不太可能成功的。《力量与体能研究杂志》刊出的一篇研究发现：进行6周高强度的腹部训练并没有减掉锻炼者的肚子。一项相关研究发现：12周的单手臂锻炼导致了被训手臂皮肤松弛，但一点肥肉都没减掉。

Working out just one part of your body probably won't slim it down, but some body parts are more likely to shed fat when you exercise. Your stomach is one of them.

或许，只锻炼身体的某一部位并不能使这个部位瘦下来，但锻炼的时候，身体的某些部位更容易摆脱肉肉。其中之一就是肚子。

"Some fat deposits are more metabolically active than others, and those may be more responsive to exercise interventions," says Arthur Weltman, a professor of medicine and chair of the department of kinesiology at the University of Virginia. "Abdominal fat in particular is one of the most metabolically active fats."

"一些脂肪沉积物比其它种类更具代谢活性，因此可能对运动干预更加敏感，"医学教授、弗吉尼亚大学运动学系主任亚瑟·韦尔特曼如是说。"特别是腹部脂肪，更是最具代谢活性的脂肪之一。"

When you exercise, your workouts trigger the release of hormones, Weltman explains. The higher the exercise intensity, the more of these hormones your body pumps out, and the more of that metabolically active fat you lose. (Some of Weltman's research suggests that high intensity interval training (HIIT), in particular, may slim your midsection.)

锻炼的时候会激发激素的释放，韦尔特曼解释说。锻炼强度越高，身体释放的激素就越多，减掉的具有代谢活性的脂肪就越多。（韦尔特曼的一些研究表明：高强度间接训练尤其能甩掉肚子上的肉肉。）

If you have fat stored in your gut, arms and chest, a lot of your fat is metabolically active, so it will likely respond to exercise and diet changes, he says. That's especially true of your abdominal fat. The bad news is that extra fat in these regions is also linked with a greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other ailments.

如果你的肠道、手臂和胸部都存有脂肪，那么你身体内的很多脂肪都是具有代谢活性的，所以很有可能对锻炼和饮食变化做出反应，他说。腹部脂肪更是如此。坏消息是，这些身体部位的多余脂肪可能会增加你患糖尿病、心脏病、癌症和其它疾病的风险。

On the other hand, if you store excess fat in the hips, butt and thighs, that fat is not metabolically active. You have a lower risk for many diseases, "but that fat is very hard to reduce," he says.

另一方面，如果你的臀部和大腿存有脂肪，那这些脂肪并不具备代谢活性。你患各种疾病的风险也就更低，"但这些部位的脂肪特别难减，"他说。

What type of exercise is best for targeting the tummy? One study found that while aerobic training-running, swimming, cycling-led to greater whole-body fat loss, resistance training targeted abdominal fat in particular.

什么类型的锻炼最能减肚子呢？一项研究发现虽然有氧运动--跑步、游泳和骑自行车--能在很大程度上减掉全身脂肪，但抗阻锻炼最能减掉肚子上的肉。