Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Weil Origins Skin Care
  • Marketplace
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Muscle Trimming
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Balanced Living
  4. Exercise & Fitness

Muscle Trimming

Friends training together in fitness club, horizontal
1 min

Muscle trimming, the “floor work” of aerobics classes, is intended to increase muscle tone and improve body contours. Beware of promises from books and instructors that this activity will firm up sagging bodies, make bulges disappear, and melt away “cellulite,” the ugly fat deposits that no beautiful person can afford to be seen with. Would that all those leg lifts and abdominal crunches could accomplish such miracles, but the truth of the matter is otherwise. Fat disappears only by gradual weight loss through permanent changes in diet and general attention to all the principles of health stressed in this book. Even so, this sort of exercise can make you feel good and like your body more.

Abdominal exercises are a type of muscle trimming, but I put them in a special category because they may help prevent lower back trouble. For example, sit-ups can strengthen and balance the muscles that support the spine. Some male bodybuilders work at developing boardlike abdominal muscles. This is not healthy if the muscles cannot relax, because such extreme tone may interfere with the function of the digestive organs. The abdominal muscles should have good tone but also should be soft and yielding, a principle taught in most of the martial arts. I recommend moderate, sensible abdominal exercises for those who have had back trouble, abdominal surgery, or multiple pregnancies.

Learn more about exercise and fitness programs.

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

simple aerobic tips
Exercise & Fitness

13 Simple Aerobic Tips

hot bath better exercise
Exercise & Fitness

A Hot Bath For Better Exercise?

Young woman walking her don in a neighborhood with houses and trees in the background.
Exercise & Fitness

A Pill To Replace Exercise?

Close up of a men's quadruple skulls rowing team, seconds after the start of their race
Exercise & Fitness

A Watery Workout?

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
simple aerobic tips
Exercise & Fitness

13 Simple Aerobic Tips

hot bath better exercise
Exercise & Fitness

A Hot Bath For Better Exercise?

Daily Tips
Start The Day With Grapefruit
Health Tips

3 Reasons To Eat Grapefruit

Lips Dry And Chapped Natural Solution
Health Tips

A Natural Solution For Dry And Chapped Lips

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright2023 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com