Exercise & You
‘EXERCISE IS ACTIVITY REQUIRING PHYSICAL MOVEMENT.’
If you increase your current amount of physical movement, you will have ‘improved’ your lifestyle. The amount you exercise is undoubtedly an important factor in your success in ‘long term’ weight loss maintenance. Some of us enjoy visits to the Gym, some of us hyperventilate at the thought!
If you sit at a desk/computer all day 5 days a week, you have to accept that you are burning very few calories to do so. If you eat more than that few required you will store the excess and gain weight! Not a punishment, a reality!
The most helpful type of exercise is aerobic, (increasing your cardiovascular system in the distribution of oxygen around your body). Activities like WALKING, RUNNING, SWIMMING, and CYCLING.
Anaerobic exercise is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to build power and by body builders to build muscle mass.
DURING WEIGHT LOSS, it is advantageous (but not mandatory) if you increase your exercise to include 3-5 30 minute sessions per week.
BREAK IT DOWN EVEN MORE: If you work long hours, recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old “no time for exercise” excuse we give ourselves!
ENJOY. Be certain to find something you enjoy, you’ll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an amateur sports group, joining a group like a running/walking Club or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your ‘inner self’ as well; you may enjoy it so much you may even become “hooked", leading to many more long term benefits!.
ONCE MAINTAINING, a lower, healthier body weight/BMI is something you can accomplish with a little motivation! Research suggests that overweight women who exercised for five 30 minute sessions per week were able to lose and maintain a weight loss of approximately 13 Kilos (29 pounds/2 stone) over one and a half years. Maybe you don’t have the desire or the time to exercise quite that much, but every 30 minute session is beneficial.
IF YOU CAN FIND THE TIME: Your local gym will provide a wide variety of aerobic options, such as treadmills, cross trainers, exercise bikes, stairmasters, rowing and ski machines, so that you can just switch on and get started with your workout. It can be a good idea to diversify between different machines and different speeds/levels of resistance, as your body can get used to a certain routine and, after a number of sessions, the same routine will not work your heart and lungs as much as it once did.
NEED A COMMITMENT? For those who prefer to work out as part of a group, many gyms provide classes, such as various forms of dance, body pump, body combat and step aerobics with a trained instructor to ensure that you get the most out of your workout.
Pick whichever form of exercise suits you and your lifestyle best, but always remember to notify us of your decision. If you are not used to any form of exercise, always consult your G.P. first!