Agree: for most people, the beer gut is more pronounced because of the laxity of the front abs (also causing a hyper extended spine which causes back pain), it’s not all just fat. So, proper training and strengthening of the abs will help pull those things back in line, but won’t do much for burning off fat.
No. You cannot target areas to lean out. This also holds for exercise: doing sit-ups will not burn the fat off your abs. The fat will also not necessarily come off evenly. Sometimes it does, sometimes the saddlebags stay until the bitter end even when your ribs are clearly visible. Genetics does play a role, but it can be dealt with.
(I’m a trainer and physiologist and helping people to lose fat is something I do.)
Going to home depot at 9p to get one more of a simple washer or nail that you could have gotten on any of the 3 previous trips that day to finish fixing whatever broke in the middle of the night is what I call the adult walk of shame
I’m an athlete and a biomechanics student who studies this sort of thing. Technically, if you do the physics, yes, pavement is harder than dirt. Will your body actually notice that difference given the forces that you experience from an easy run in modern shoes? Not likely. For a few hours a day, day in and day out over decades, then yes you will. But if you run a few miles once or twice a week, no, you probably won’t see a huge difference. (And most trails frequented by runners are packed dirt that is not much softer than pavement. Getting onto shift and squishy loam tails isn’t feasible for everyone.)
I have lots because Colorado falls are roller coasters with temp.
On “warm” 50⁰ days, I’m usually do a base layer of a Nike pro lycra shirt and shorts, then typical jersey and shorts with arm and knee warmers.
On cooler days, same bases, but with a warmer jersey and maybe fleece knickers or tights. The fleece cycling gear is always smaller than the summer gear and stretches less as well, so I find it very uncomfortable. Maybe lycra booties, ear warmer and comfy gloves (love the head gloves from Costco).
If I’m crazy and it’s under 20⁰, then a very warm capo jacket over a long sleeve base layer and 2 layers of tights sandwiching my shorts (or a unique pair of pearl izumi wind proof tights), warm pearl gloves, warm hat and neoprene booties. If I’m lucky, I’ll last an hour.
When I realized I could say “I’ve been doing this for 20 years”.
When I have my MacBook connected to an external monitor through USB adapters, it does drain a little faster. I haven’t tested if my HDMI monitor connected directly does as well, but I’m sure it would. Any external monitor should require some extra GPU resources which means more energy which means your battery should drain faster. How much faster depends on lots of things.
As a trainer, I see and help people with this a lot. First thing is you need to find out what’s causing it: is it stress (stress causes certain muscles to tense that pull your head forward), too much computer (or anything that puts your hands in the same position with a stooped neck, like reading, typing, sewing, driving, phones, etc etc), general slouching, low muscle tone, bad breathing mechanics, scoliosis or some other osteo pathology, or some other condition? Once you know that cause, you can start working on eliminating it. As you lessen the cause, you can strengthen the muscles that counteract what’s pulling you into kyphosis. Exercises that do this include face pulls, rear delt flys, rows, pullups and quadruped arm swings. There are others, and you will need to look at your breathing mechanics as well. You’re probably also going to need to stretch your pecs and shoulders and neck. To make sure you’re getting everything lined up, you would do best to find an experienced and knowledgeable trainer and/or physical therapist. Your basic meathead might not be as concerned or educated in straightening you out. Also be ready to commit to this for at least a year. Progress with ligaments takes 6-18 months, so don’t expect results in a week. You could see a chiropractor or a rolfer, but there are so many quacks out there that I couldn’t recommend it. One visit to a chiro could fix certain joints if you can’t get your head all the way back, but more than 1 is likely unnecessary. Find some trusted professionals with actual schooling and they should be able to help you out. Good luck!
Plus, if you buy directly from the manufacturer, you know you’re getting a legit product with a good warranty. Some brands also have stores that double as service centers. If I order Nikes and they don’t fit, I can return them to the local Nike store. Many offer free shipping just like Amazon, easy returns, better color choices and no creepy tracking or crazy knockoffs.
This is what I do when I know the other person will insist on buying (like they always do). Had a friend who always bought lunch for years before I finally got there first.
In other situations, the classy thing is to say “please allow me to get this; I insist. You can get the next one.”
I feel obliged to wear a speedo because I’m old
So, the rectum (poops last stop before freedom) is actually deep inside your pelvis as your colon makes the turn from the left side to the center, so your massage isn’t moving the poop out like squeezing a toothpaste tube. However, it lies close to some internal muscles like the iliacus which can put pressure on it if they’re stiff or inflamed (not unheard of in western society), and massaging them can get them to relax and relieve the pressure.
You’re certainly not hurting anything with this, and since you’ve been doing it for so long, you may have developed a psychosomatic connection that might actually help your bowels do their work. It’s weird, but go right ahead massaging the shit out of yourself because it might help in some way.