Exercise and Fitness

Exercise is one of the most important aspects of staying healthy. That is because it regulates the appetite and metabolism in the body, elevates the mood and enhances the quality of sleep. In the long run, exercise promises more interesting benefits. It delivers sufficient oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues, supports the cardiovascular organs to function efficiently and also decreases the risk of several chronic diseases like heart ailments, diabetes, stroke, depression and cancer.

It is well-known that the terms exercise and fitness are inter-related. While exercise involves a series of well-planned, structured and intentional body movements by doing physical activities, fitness implies the ability and capacity to perform this. Fitness also means possessing the energy and stamina to stay active. Thus, becoming fit is an incremental process that can be achieved by regular physical exercise.

Obesity (wherein Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 30) seems to be a common health problem these days, thanks to unhealthy food habits and lack of physical activity. This is severely detrimental to the health and well-being of people and can have even fatal consequences. Therefore, physicians and other healthcare professionals recommend such patients to reduce obesity by undergoing weight-loss interventions in a phased manner.

Obesity Exercise Guidelines

• It is generally recommended that all adults must exercise for half an hour daily to maintain their health. Walking for thirty minutes a day and doing resistance training exercises atleast twice a week can help obese persons to regain their normal body weight.
• It is vital to note that achieving the maximum weight loss in the shortest time span is not the approach of a successful treatment roadmap. This is because it can harm the body and the weight loss cannot be sustained in the long run.
• Another interesting and motivating factor is that even a five to ten percent reduction in body weight can have tremendous positive health outcomes as it substantially decreases comorbidities.
• Reducing the waist circumference should be given a high priority rather than actual weight loss as the lowering of visceral fat significantly reduces the threat of cardiovascular diseases.
• Normally, aerobic exercises ranging from moderate to vigorous intensity are advised to burn out the calories effectively. However, vigorous exercises are not advisable for people who are very obese.
• Those individuals who choose to ad1opt a vigorous-intensity activity into their weight loss program must adopt an incremental approach. This should do this gradually and build up the regime in one to three months of moderate-intensity activity.
• After losing weight, obese persons should continue their activity schedules for atleast an hour daily to prevent weight regain.

Weight Loss Exercises

• Walking - This is one of the easiest exercises that can help adults to easily slip into a healthier lifestyle. Walking is a low-impact exercise that can be done freely anywhere. Walking burns out the excess calories as one exerts more energy to do the body movements resulting in the reduction of body weight.
• Jogging and Running - These exercises can be seamlessly incorporated into the weekly routines and greatly help in burning abdominal fat thereby preventing chronic diseases.
• Water aerobics - Water exercises like swimming have multiple benefits as the water supports the body weight and reduces the impact on the joints easing the pain.
• Cycling - Outdoor cycling aids in weight loss and improves fitness. Cycling also increases insulin sensitivity and lowers the risk of heart diseases. Cycling on stationary seated bikes with a backseat (or recumbent bikes) can also be a good option for obese people as it tones the various body muscles.
• Weight Training - This exercise strengthens the body, promotes muscle growth and raises the metabolic rates resulting in weight reduction.
• Interval Training - Here, short durations of intense exercises are alternated with relaxation periods to burn the excess calories in the body.
• Yoga - Yoga is a traditional and well-established approach for promoting weight loss while simultaneously improving mental health by relieving stress.