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Weight-loss Dieting and exercise? Types of exercises

Dieting Aerobics Anaerobic Flexibility Weight-loss Burning Calories

Calories

One pound of body fat is roughly same as 3,500 calories. To lose one pond of weight in one week you can do one of the following

1. Reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day.

2. Run 5 miles per day (One 160 pound person running for one mile uses 100.8 calories)

3. Walk 10 miles per day (One 160 pound person walking for one miles uses 48 calories)

4. Consume 500 liters of oxygen per day (One liter of oxygen generates 5 calories).

On the surface, it seems like dieting is the most desired solution. Then why would one be bothered with exercise.

Dieting Weight-loss Fat-loss Muscle-loss

One pound of body weight lost by diet alone (without exercise) consists of following

1. 70% fat loss and 30% loss of muscle mass. Loss of muscle mas can not be eliminated but it can be reduced by aerobic exercise. Muscle-mass can be increased by anaerobic exercise.

2. 30% of lost-fat is subcutaneous fat (stored under the skin), remainder is visceral (surrounding internal organs). Exercise can increase subcutaneous fat reduction to 60%.

3. For best fat loss, you need to combine dieting, aerobic, and anaerobic exercise

How Much Exercise Should I Do for weight loss?

- 30 minutes Aerobic exercise five to seven days per week

- 15 minutes Anaerobic exercise 2 to 4 days a week

- Flexible exercise 2 to 3 times per week

Exercises

The exercises can be grouped into 4 categories: Aerobic, Anaerobic, Flexibility, and Household Chores

Aerobic

These exercises involve large muscles. The heart and lung work harder when executed with intensity for extended period. Apparently, these exercises have cardiovascular benefits.

Examples: Biking, Cycling, Running, Swimming, Skating, Stair-climbing, Walking, Tennis, Water aerobics

Aerobic exercises are further grouped as low , or High impact exercise

Low impact aerobic exercises: Walking, Swimming. Normally a person walks at 2 miles per hour or one mile in 30 minutes.

High impact aerobic exercises: Running, Tennis, Dancing

Weight-bearing aerobic exercises that work against gravity (Walking, Running, Dancing, Skating, Stair-climbing) burn more calories for the same effort than non-weight bearing exercise such as swimming, cycling or water aerobics. More muscles are involved in a weight-bearing exercise, resulting in more calorie burn.

You will burn more calories if exercises are done on an incline (Hill)

High impact exercise increases post-exercise oxygen consumption increasing metabolic rate for about 30 minutes

Major Weigh-Loss Benefit

Normally, a person gains weight after going off the diet. Continued aerobic exercises prevent post-dieting weight-gain, helping you to maintain achieved healthy body weight.

Major Metabolism Benefit - Energy Flux

Aerobic exercise results in a higher energy flux (flow of calories) through your body. This permits one to consume high amount of calories and burn high amount of calories (Example professional cyclists). Energy flux keeps your body lean, and the vitamins and minerals are transported to where needed.

Energy flux is linked with metabolic rate. Higher the energy flux, higher is the metabolic rate compared with a low energy flux.

People who consume extremely low-calorie diet and do not exercise, have low energy flux. Elderly are less physically active, if they do not consume enough calories, they will experience a drop in basal metabolic rate This can be minimized by a high energy flux through high calorie intake and high volume of exercise.

Anaerobic

Anaerobic exercise usually refers to resistance training, weight training, or lifting weights. The primary purpose of anaerobic exercise is to increase muscle mass. These exercise are not meant to reduce body fat. It is possible to gain net weight, if gained muscle mass exceeds loss of body fat.

You lose fewer pounds with anaerobic exercise for the same effort (calories spent) compared with aerobic exercise.

Major Weight-loss Benefit - Increase in Basal Metabolic rate

Greater the muscle mass, higher is basal metabolic rate. It means, you burn more calories even at rest. Muscle holds less water and occupies less volume than equivalent weight of fat. This enables you to lose inches (dress sizes) for the same weight on the scale

The muscles use up 4 times more calories than the fats.

Weight Lifting

Choose weights that you can lift up to twelve times without getting tired. Do a set of 8-12 repetition. Lift 8 times, and then lift 12 times. This is called a set of 8-12 repetition. Do not hold your breath during lifting, this can cause rapid rise in blood pressure. Always either inhale or exhale during the lift.

You need longer resting time, for the weight lifting program to let the muscles relax. Rest for two days in between lifting weights.

Flexibility exercises

Yoga, Tai-Chi

The flexibility exercises help to stretch and elongate muscles, and with breath control.

Household Chores

Moderate-intensity daily household chores such as gardening and housework add up in burning calories and keep you fit. Examples: Mowing lawn, Raking leaves, Vacuuming house, Mopping floors, Walking dogs, Playing with kids.

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