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The Fitness and Health Report
Information for a Healthy Life
August 2 2000, Issue 13
IN THIS ISSUE:
- 10 Exercise Myths
- Muscles: Do We Really Need Them?
- Body fat Blitz!
10 Exercise Myths
Although some old fitness fictions, such as "no pain, no gain"
and "spot reducing" are fading fast, plenty of popular exercise
misconceptions still exist. Here are some of the most common myths as
well as the not-so-common facts based on current exercise research.
1. You Will Burn More Fat If You Exercise Longer at a Lower Intensity.
The most important focus in exercise and fat weight control is not the
percentage of exercise energy coming from fat but the total energy cost,
or how many calories are burned during the activity. The faster you walk,
step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However,
high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are just beginning
or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very long at this level.
It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and
work your way up gradually.
2. If You're Not Going to Work Out Hard and Often, Exercise Is a Waste
of Time.
This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even
starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise
is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as
little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
3. Yoga Is a Completely Gentle and Safe Exercise.
Yoga is an excellent form of exercise, but some styles are quite rigorous
and demanding both physically and mentally. As with any form of exercise,
qualified, careful instruction is necessary for a safe, effective workout.
4. If You Exercise Long and Hard Enough, You Will Always Get the Results
You Want.
In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to
exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers
respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed
and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.
5. Exercise Is One Sure Way to Lose All the Weight You Desire.
As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is impacted by
many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will
not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is
possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone
cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of
the most important factors for successful long-term weight management.
6. If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay Away From Strength Training Because
You Will Bulk Up.
Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength
training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength
training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.
7. Water Fitness Programs Are Primarily for Older People or Exercisers
With Injuries.
Recent research has shown that water fitness programs can be highly challenging
and effective for both improving fitness and losing weight. Even top athletes
integrate water fitness workouts into their training programs.
8. The Health and Fitness Benefits of Mind-Body Exercise Like Tai Chi
and Yoga Are Questionable.
In fact, research showing the benefits of these exercises continues to
grow. Tai chi, for example, has been shown to help treat low-back pain
and fibromyalgia. Improved flexibility, balance, coordination, posture,
strength and stress management are just some of the potential results
of mind-body exercise.
9. Overweight People Are Unlikely to Benefit Much From Exercise.
Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs
have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless
of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve
their health with modest increases in activity.
10. Home Workouts Are Fine, But Going to a Gym Is the Best Way to Get
Fit.
Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based
fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs
and facilities, the "best" program for you is the one you will
participate in consistently.
Reproduced with permission of IDEA (http://www.ideafit.com/),
The Health and Fitness Source, (800) 999-IDEA or (619) 535-8979.
Muscles: Do We Really Need Them?
By Amy Banks
Yes. Definitely - yes, for some very important reasons.
Look Thinner
Muscles will make you look and fell thinner. It's true! Muscle takes
up less space than fat does, so pound for pound, if you have more muscle
than someone who weighs the same as you, you can be at least two clothing
sizes smaller.
Eat More Without Getting Fat
Muscle allows you to eat more food without getting fat because muscle
is the only body material that is active. Muscle actually "scintillates"(the
muscle fibers vibrate ever so slightly, rather than lie stagnant like
bone and fat), and it does so twenty-four hours a day - even when you're
sitting in a chair or sleeping in your bed.
The fact is, once you put muscle on your body, you will burn an additional
20 to 30 calories an hour!
Beat The Aging Process
Every year after the age of thirty, muscles atrophy a small amount. No
one knows exactly how much - but experts say it is about 5 percent a year.
If you do nothing to prevent this normal muscle attrition, by the time
you are forty, your body shape will have significantly changed. By working
with weights, you can put back the muscle that you lost every year after
thirty - and then some!
Strong Bones
When you work with weights, you're not only putting stress on the muscle,
you're putting stress on the bone as well, and you're making the bone
stronger and thicker as you make the muscle stronger and bigger. This
should be great news to everyone over thirty, especially women, who are
losing bone tissue to the point of danger and possibly osteoporosis.
Be Strong and Sexy!
Finally, muscle is sexy! It makes you feel sensual and sexy. It puts
curves and definition in all the right places. And for women, don't worry
- you won't end up looking like the female "Arnold". You can
have a firm, toned and feminine body - all at the same time!
Amy Banks is President of Genuine Nutrition (http://www.genuinenutrition.com)
offering the highest quality vitamins and supplements along with superior
customer service and support.
Body fat Blitz!
By Amy Banks
Winter's gone and it's now time to parade ourselves on the beach or around
the pool. Scary…I know, but if you can follow some simple but effective
tips you can be looking lean and feeling good in just a matter of weeks.
I'm not talking anything drastic, just daily adjustments you can integrate
periodically to help you reach your goals.
1) Shake Things Up!
Have you been following the same exercise and nutritional program for
months? Simple changes to your program can help you bust through a plateau
and achieve new heights.
· Try a pre-set program of hills on your treadmill
· Move faster between strength exercises
· Use a heart rate monitor to get the most from your workout
and to gauge your progress. · Try a fat-burning supplement to increase
your calorie burn
2. Keep a Journal
Keep a detailed training journal and nutrition log, noting as best as
possible how each element affects your physique, workouts, energy level,
mood, etc. Having such a personalized, proven road map to follow means
you'll never have to depend on guesswork or trial and error again.
3. Count Calories
Yes, it's a pain, but I'll bet you don't know within 200 calories exactly
how many you eat in a single day. In this case, what you don't know can
definitely hurt you!
The theory behind energy balance is simple enough: Burn more calories
than you ingest and you'll lose weight. On the flip side, ingest more
than you burn and you'll gain weight.
The following is a fairly accurate measurement tool: Multiply your current
bodyweight by 13, 14 or 15 (choose 13 if your metabolism is fairly slow,
14 if it's average and 15 if it's fast) to get the appropriate number
of calories you should eat daily. Use this number as a starting point;
after several weeks, you may have to adjust your caloric intake up or
down by 100-200 if you aren't reaching your goals.
Amy Banks is President of Genuine Nutrition (http://www.genuinenutrition.com)
offering the highest quality vitamins and supplements along with superior
customer service and support.
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