What exercises should I perform?
Among the best ways to loose weight, in conjunction with appropriate eating and sleeping, is to perform cardiovascular (aerobic) activity 5-7days a week and (optionally) weight-training 1-2days per fortnight. It doesn’t get simpler than that. The hard part is being consistent and patient. If you are unsure about what exercises you should be doing or you suffer from a particular ailment (i.e. diabetes, heart disease) then seek the advice of a qualified fitness professional to guide you.
Why cardiovascular activity?
The reason we recommend more emphasis on cardiovascular activity each week instead of weight-training, is because you do not "burn" body fat during weight-training exercises, as fat is not used as a fuel source. Only cardiovascular activity utilises body fat as a fuel source. Weight-training is still useful in weight-loss as it increases your strength, muscle size, bone density and metabolic rate (how fast you process energy).
How long should I exercise for?
The amount of exercise required daily/weekly for weight-loss is different for everyone. As far as definite numbers go, the Surgeon General recommends at least 30mins per day (210mins a week) of cardiovascular activity (for adults). Some people may find that they need to perform 45mins per day (315mins a week) of cardiovascular activity to lose weight. We recommend you start small (10-20mins per day) so as to allow your body to become accustomed to frequent exercise. Then begin gradually increasing activity levels to 30-45mins per day.
Examples of Cardiovascular Activities:
Forget the Ab exercises Despite the constant recommendations from television, magazines, websites and friends, abdominal exercises do not help you “flatten you stomach” or get a “six-pack”. This is because you DO NOT burn body fat during abdominal exercises and the abdominal muscles do not increase in size when exercised due to the type of muscle fibre they consist of. You cannot spot reduce! This means that exercising a certain body part will not help you specifically loose weight from that area (i.e. crunches, sit-ups, side-bends). The only effective way to lose fat from your stomach (or anywhere!) is to eat correctly, stress less, sleep well and perform cardiovascular activity. So, forget about the fancy abdominal machines that promise to get you a “sexy six-pack”.
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