How can exercise change fat’s distribution on our body? There are factors called epigenetics that have an effect on whether our DNA will express itself fully, partly or differently. Meaning that even though we “carry” some specific genes we inherited from our parents and for that reason we accumulate fat either on the belly and the waist (apple type) or the hips (pear type), fat distribution seems to be able to change through external factors, such as continuous exercising.