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Exercise: A Three Pronged Approach to Weight Loss :
You have probably heard
that it is impossible to sustain significant weight loss without exercise.
Simply cutting calories is usually not enough to get your weight under
control. You must couple dieting with a rigorous physical activity
program. In general, the best exercise program follows a three-step
approach: aerobic exercise, weight training, and stretching.
Aerobic exercise is important for revving up your heart rate and breathing
for long time periods. There are a range of aerobic activities you
can engage in, including swimming, biking, walking, dancing, kick
boxing, and spinning. Health experts recommend that you do aerobic
exercise at least 20 minutes, three days a week. Of course, if you
can exercise more than that, you will be improving your metabolism
even more. If you don’t have time to exercise for 20 minutes
at a time, consider exercising in ten minute spurts. (Your body won’t
know the difference.) You should be exercising at a fast pace—but
not so fast that you cannot talk while exerting. If you begin feeling
dizzy, stop immediately.
Weight training is another important component of your weekly exercise
program. Through strength training, you will enhance muscle, increase
your strength, and promote bone growth. The interesting thing about
weight training is that, once you start it, you’ll be burning
calories—even if you’re sleeping or at rest. You can achieve
strength training in a number of ways. For instance, you might use
Nautilus machines, free weights, or resistance bands. Push-ups, sit-ups,
and leg lifts are another kind of resistance training. You should
be engaging in weight training at least twice a week, doing eight
to ten repetitions of each individual exercise. You may even want
to employ a personal trainer to help you with your weight training
program. The trainer should be certified by the American Council on
Exercise or the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.
Flexibility helps to loosen your muscles so that you have easy motion
in your joints. This type of exercise reduces the likelihood that
you will be injured and helps to combat the effects of aging. You
should do your stretching exercises at least two or three times a
week and you should hold each stretch for a minimum of 20 seconds.
There are certain myths that are associated with exercise and weight
loss. For instance, it is possible to age without gaining weight.
By engaging in exercise, you can guard against the inactivity which
can cause you to pack on the pounds. Also, you don’t have to
experience pain in order to exercise properly—another myth that
has been circulating through the years. You might think you’re
too old for weight training. Think again! Weight training is appropriate
for all adults, provided that you proceed with caution and gradually
increase your training program. Also, just because you’ve stopped
exercising, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost all
the benefits. The pleasant side-effects of exercise tend to linger.
This means that you can stop exercising for a month and not lose too
much ground.
You might also be surprised to learn that you can actually laugh your
way to weight loss. Studies have shown that laughing is equivalent
to light aerobic activity. A good laugh exercises your muscles, enhances
your breathing rate, and causes the oxygen in your blood to rise.
Another helpful weight loss activity is fidgeting. Wiggling your foot,
tapping your fingers on a desk, or chewing gum can actually cause
you to burn calories. While you might not be able to lose all your
excess pounds through fidgeting, just a little physical activity can
go a long way to helping you achieve your weight loss goals.
Some people believe that, if only they diet, they’ll lose all
the weight they need to. However, studies have consistently shown
that exercise is the key to maintaining weight loss. Still, it is
important that you follow a rational approach to exercise. This means
combining aerobic activity, strength training, and stretching and
performing these activities consistently through the week. In this
way, you should be able to shed pounds and keep them off in the long
run. And you may feel as if you have more energy in the process!
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