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Question: Dear Cheryl,
I need help regarding the question about how much exercise is enough to keep me healthy and fit. I am big boned and have always struggled with my weight. I do find I feel better when I exercise, but go to extremes with it. I either don’t exercise or overdo it often to overcompensate for what I was eating. Thanks for your insights!
Signed, Treadmill Happy
Dear Treadmill Happy:
You bring up a good point with which many Americans struggle. For several years, America has maintained the highest obesity and heart disease rate, as well as maintaining more gyms and workout centers than any other country in the world. Why then this problem with obesity? Very simply, exercise is not sufficient in winning the battle of the bulge. With the average 30 minute jog burning about 300 calories, exercise alone will not compensate for poor or excessive eating. Revising both your food choices as well as your exercise habits are necessary in making a shift in your weight. It takes 3500 calories to make a pound so a sane way to lose weight is to reduce your caloric intake by 250 calories daily and increase exercise to expend an additional 250 calories daily.
Exercise is critical in order to keep your muscles from atrophying, heart strong, and yes, your metabolism churning for weight loss. But one more salient reason to exercise is for your mood. Exercise acts as a natural anti-depressant as it releases precious neurotransmitters, endorphins and serotonin, to the brain. Sustained cardiovascular workout for at least 30 minutes is necessary to adequately raise those levels of feel-good chemicals in the brain.
When it comes to weight loss, contrary to popular belief, exercising harder is not better. Cardiovascular exercise for 45 minutes or more burns more actual FAT than a more intense 30 minute routine. The old adage of gentler is better fits here as a 50 minute walk getting your heart rate up may give you the results of a slimmer body rather than having to trek to the “make it burn” 30 minute combo step-aerobic/weight training class. In our externally focused culture where MORE has become better, many who excessively exercise get kudos and this feeds the addiction to become faster and stronger. What we don’t hear about are the worn out knees, shin splints, and infertility problems that come from this rapidly growing addiction. A moderate workout plan of 4 days weekly 45 minutes each should help you slim down and keep your mood up as long as you also make the necessary changes in your food plan. Losing more slowly will ensure you are losing actual fat rather than burning precious muscle.
Shorter Entry:
Exercise with Efficiency
Do you shudder when thinking about adding exercise to an already jam-packed schedule? Here are some easy ways to make exercise part of your day without having to carve out 2 hours for the gym. DANCE instead! Busy moms with kids can dance indoors. Young toddlers and infants love movement and the weight of the child will help you maintain tone in your upper body as well as the dance providing the aerobic workout. Put on your child’s favorite CD and dance away for 30 minutes. Older kids can dance without your holding them and will expend precious energy which will help them concentrate better later. Or use the extra 30 minutes you have before your next carpool or business appointment to take a walk. Park your car, keep an extra pair of sneakers and socks in your trunk at all times and park. Even if you’re in unfamiliar territory, walk 15 minutes in one direction, turn around and walk back the opposite way for 15 minutes. You will arrive back at your car without having gotten lost, you will have experienced new scenery, and will have gotten your workout in. You’ll also be in a better mood to greet your kids or your client! If you need to fit your exercise on the site of your job, use your lunch break to walk outside or trek up and down the stairs at work for 30 minutes and eat at your desk later.
Finally, Use your creativity to fit it in even of that means putting on music and cleaning your house intensely or gardening. When it comes to working out, think smarter rather than harder!
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