Ab Exercise Belts-Do They Really Work?

Article by Ken Branson

You have seen them on TV, seen them on the internet, you’ve heard all the commercials and claims. Electronic ab stimulators work by providing electrical impulses to the muscles in your core. They can help you melt away the fat, even while you are at rest. The question is; do they really work? The most direct and honest answer is no.

There are two types of ab exercise belts available. The original version is basically a black, usually rubber belt that looks something like a weightlifting belt used to support your back when working out. These belts are meant to be worn either while you are working out or at rest. The main idea behind these belts is the fact that they heat up your core, by making you sweat more than you would without the use of the belt. This truly is the only use for this type of belt. It will indeed make you sweat, but it will not help to develop muscle nor will it burn fat from your midsection.

The second type is the more modern style, for which we see constant advertisements on the TV and internet. These belts also provide an electrical stimulation to the core muscles in the abdomen. Manufacturers claim that these electrical impulses provide fat burning activity to the abdominal muscles, thus developing them and burning fat nearly simultaneously. These claims have are not made with any medical research to support them. The simple fact is, people think they work because they “feel it.” You can certainly feel the electrical impulses, feel them tingle and stimulate the muscles; but this is a very low intensity stimulation at best.

To help you understand all the hype and why some people insist that these items perform “miracles,” you need to know a bit of history and medical background as it relates to electronic muscle stimulation. This technology was originally developed and is still used today in the medical field to ensure that muscles which are unable to be used for a period of time or have been otherwise adversely affected do not develop atrophy. For example, if you were bed ridden for an extended period of time and did not use certain muscles, they would begin to “waste away.” A regime of physical therapy (PT) and electrical impulse therapy may be prescribed to ensure future muscle use.

Further misconceptions around the use of an ab exercise belt are promulgated by the myth of “spot reduction.” This is the myth that you can burn fat in a specific area of your body. For example, you want to develop great abs, but you are 50 pounds overweight. So you do nothing but abdominal exercises and use an ab exercise belt to reduce the size of your midsection. Without proper diet and exercise for the entire body as well as your abs, you will not lose any weight or waist size. As a matter of fact your waist size may increase! This is because your body is not designed to spot reduce the fat that is built up in your midsection and you are doing nothing other than ab exercises. So these exercises are likely developing muscle, but the muscle is building under the layers of fat; thus you appear and feel fatter.

The bottom line regarding ab exercise belts is, don’t waste your money! The best way to lose weight in your stomach and build your core is to follow a diet and exercise routine. Once you have begun this regime, you can further focus your exercises to those which are designed to safely develop a six pack anyone would be proud to show off at the beach!

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