The Effects of Exercise
May 23, 2010
What can Exercise do for you? Well, get your pop corn and get ready for a long 3 hour epic. I won’t bore you with all the details, but because I am so passionate about it, I will scratch the surface a little bit for you.
Depending on your current situation, exercise will
- Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis.
- Improves your cardiovascular fitness.
- Improves metabolism which will reduce your risk of being overweight.
- Increases endorphin release.
- Improve your productivity
This simple activity is becoming more and more scarce with the way our society is changing. We were designed to move, hunt and gather. Today we mostly sit, push buttons and walk to the supermarkets for our foods.
All the diseases mentioned in the first point are classed as diseases that can be prevented if we only changed our lifestyles. Sedentary-ness, malnutrition, lifestyle and sometimes genetics are possible factors of how we develop these dangerous and deadly diseases that are claiming many lives by the hour. All of which can be fixed with a little bit of a lifestyle adjustment and a bit of exercise.
The Department of Health has a Find Thirty Everyday campaign that recommends for a 30 minute activity everyday. In an attempt to get the public moving and more active again. The message is clear. We are not moving or getting active enough. But is it really enough to get us losing the weight? Probably not. But it is a good start.
Metabolism is a fantastic thing. It is the amount of energy needed to keep your body running or you alive. There are many factors that can affect your metabolism. Learn how to maximise your energy burning potential by raising your basal metabolic rate. I will cover this in another blog post later on down the track.
As a fitness professional, we have probably heard of the many excuses or barriers put up by folk who do not want to exercise. These may be because exercise is too hard to do, hurts too much, do not have time for it, it costs too much, the trainers yell too much, the exercises they make me do are too difficult and the best of the lot, just could not be bothered. These are all lame excuses. They do not work anymore and the only person you are kidding is yourself. Sedentary folk need to understand that there is a problem, realize that there is and take the appropriate action.
Everyone needs to exercise. No matter where you come from, what sort of lifestyle you may have, cut the ridiculous and get exercising.
Top 5 Reasons to Strength Train
March 22, 2010
1. Builds Muscle – Muscle is metabolically active tissue and is the most expensive tissue in the body to preserve.
2. Reduces risk of Osteoporosis – Weight loading will increase of bone density. The constant loading will stimulate bone cells to lay down more bone tissue which will prevent brittle bones.
3. Builds Confidence – The sense of achievement when you are able to move weight and be able to conduct certain activities without the fear of your muscles giving way will boost your confidence and give you a ‘Can-do’ attitude.
4. Increases Metabolism – Strength training increases your caloric burning capacity by up to four times after you have stopped weight training or cardiovascular training. Gilette et al (1994)
5. Enhances Functional Strength – Functional strength allows you to perform every day activities like lifting boxes of the ground, shelving boxes and pushing carts and trolleys. These daily activities will become much easier and also a lot more safer if functional strength is enhanced.
How much more reason do you need to exercise? The science is there, the research is there. The only thing that is not is your body. So it is time to get a move on and start lifting.
