Will leg lifts thin your thighs? Can sit-ups tame tummy fat? Let’s put it this way: Expecting one exercise to tone one spot on your body is like expecting the mere thought of carrots to make you thin. That’s just not how it works. While you can tone and make a specific muscle firmer, you can’t engineer which areas of your body lose fat in what proportions. Many people lose weight in the face first, and it’s not from doing facial crunches.

That said, physical activity can help get rid of unwanted fat all over your body (it’s just that your body gets to decide where it wants to shed it first). All you need is a smart program of resistance training three times a week (just 10 minutes each time), plus three sessions a week of stamina activity -- by that, we mean cardio that gets you sweaty and breathing a little hard. We’re talking walking very fast --getting sweaty, as opposed to your usual daily at-least-30-minute walk (they are different) -- or jogging, swimming, playing basketball, and anything else that gets you moving (yes, even Wii).

But if you’re only focusing on the scale or on certain spots of your body, you’re missing the fun of physical activity. When you toss the mirror and the judgment, you’re able to enjoy the activity AND the compact, lean muscles and the healthy habits you’re building. But here’s the biggie: Activity increases your chance of having a higher quality of life with less disability. And we’ll guarantee you this: Being able to get what you want from life brings you far more joy than superskinny thighs do.

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