Exercise Is A Must to Lose Fat!
When you don’t get enough exercise, your metabolism slows and your ability to burn fat diminishes. This results in unhealthy fat deposits.
Excess fat is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Yet less than 40% of Americans exercise 20 minutes or more three times a week. This is a lifestyle habit that must be modified if optimal health is your goal.
The Relationship Between Physical Activity And Exercise
The terms physical activity and exercise may seem synonymous, but there are critical differences between the two.
Physical activity encompasses any movement of the body in which your muscles contract and your metabolism increases. Everything from washing dishes to playing ice hockey falls under this umbrella.
Exercise is a subcategory of physical activity. It refers specifically to a structured program of activity geared toward achieving or maintaining physical fitness.
Levels of physical activity can be viewed at varying degrees. At one end of the spectrum is a sedentary lifestyle, an absence of any significant physical activity. On the other end is the peak level of exercise training exhibited by a well-conditioned athlete. How you move along this continuum depends on both your starting point and your exercise goals. If you are currently sedentary, simply upping the amount of physical activity in your daily life is an important push forward.
How Your Body Responds To Physical Activity And Exercise
When you call on your body to perform any type of physical work — even something as simple as walking across the room — your cells are jolted out of their resting state of balance. What follows is a complicated set of physical processes that supply the cells with the extra energy they need.
First and foremost, the cells require additional oxygen to fuel the metabolic functions necessary for sustained activity. To meet this demand, the respiratory and circulatory systems gear up to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the working muscles. This accelerated metabolism, in turn, produces greater amounts of waste products. These products are transported back to waste-removal sites, such as the lungs and kidneys, for expulsion from the body.
It is because of these processes that you breathe more rapidly and your heart pumps more vigorously when you exert yourself. Another byproduct of increased energy production is heat. Sweating — a telltale sign of strenuous exertion — is your body's way of cooling your skin and keeping your body temperature at a safe level.
The Benefits Of Physical Activity And Exercise
Physical activity (and exercise) is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Not only does physical activity make you look and feel better, but it is also critical for improving your health and extending your life. Being active significantly lowers your chances of developing potentially fatal illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. In addition, remaining active throughout your life can help you stay healthy and disability-free as you age.
Here is a rundown on the benefits you can expect from regular activity:
Lower risk of early death
Lower risk of heart disease
Lower risk of high blood pressure (If your blood pressure is already elevated, you can expect it to drop.)
Better weight control
Lower risk of diabetes
Lower risk of colon cancer
Increased bone strength
Improved balance
Lower risk of depression and anxiety
Increased energy level
Overall sense of well-being
Set some goals. Ask yourself what you want to achieve. Are you hoping to lose some weight, lower your blood pressure or increase your stamina? Choosing the right goals will make a big difference in your ability to stick with your program.
Choose your activities. The best form of exercise is one that you will stick with. In addition to incorporating all the necessary fitness components (resistance training, aerobic activity and stretching and flexibility exercise), the ideal exercise regimen should suit your lifestyle, schedule and present fitness level. Think about what forms of exercise you enjoy (you may love biking but hate swimming, for example). Also consider other factors. For example, do you prefer to exercise indoors or outdoors? Do you prefer exercising by yourself, or do you find that exercising with others is more motivating? Make it fun!
Make a commitment to exercise. This may be the hardest step of all. Work, family, school and other obligations can all eat into your exercise time. In addition, frustration, boredom or even something as seemingly harmless as a minor cold can throw you off track. Arming yourself with techniques to help you stay motivated and recover from setbacks can make all the difference.
