Myth: Weight Loss is Caused by Exercising

Exercise alone cannot cause weight loss – especially if you are not monitoring what you eat.

Weight loss is simple math. In order to lose a pound of fat, you need to consume fewer calories than you use. As long as there is more going out than is coming into your body, then you will lose weight.

Exercise can help you lose weight but it can be harder to lose weight with exercise than diet. It takes moments to consume 400 calories but an hour to burn it. Your choices to lose weight are to reduce your food intake by 500 calories a day, exercise to burn an additional 500 calories, or use a combination of diet and exercise to reduce overall calories by 500.

Myth: After Exercising the Effects of Exercise Keep Going and Our Body Continues to Burn Calories at a Faster Rate

While you exercise you burn calories, but afterward your ability to burn calories is no more than if you were sedentary.

A new report, published in the journal Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, concluded that people’s ability to continue to burn fat over the next 24 hours after exercising is not increased. Many health and fitness experts have found these results shocking.

Further research needs to be performed to confirm these findings. For instance, in the study participants cycled for under an hour burning up to 400 calories. So, there is a possibility that longer, harder or different types of exercise could lead to a post-workout fat burn.

Myth: Weight Training Dramatically Increases Your Metabolism

The evidence, from the study above, shows that weight training, by adding muscle, does not boost your metabolism as much as widely believed.

It is true that a pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. The range is approximately 7-10 calories a day versus 2 calories. However, most people do not gain enough muscle mass to make much of a difference.

Myth: Everyone Needs the Same Amount of Exercise

The US government revised their guidelines in 2008 stating that people “vary a great deal in how much physical activity they need to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Some need more physical activity than others to maintain a healthy body weight, to lose weight or to keep weight off once it has been lost.”

The best advice is to use the daily guidelines as an estimate of what you should do to achieve your goals. Monitor your progress and adjust your program depending on your results.

Gradually increasing your intensity will also help. For instance, running burns more calories and is a higher intensity exercise than walking. The good news is that the more fit you become the harder you can work out. So, during the same amount of time, you can burn more calories.

Physical activity refers to all body movements that result in energy expenditure. It can include planned activities such as walking, running, sports, stretching and weight training. And it can also include other daily activities such as household chores, yard work and walking the dog.

Exercise refers to planned and structured repetitive movements designed specifically to improve health and fitness. These activities can include walking, running, sports, yoga and weight training.

Not everyone uses these terms correctly but now you know the difference.

Benefits of Physical Activity

All physical activity is beneficial. And from government campaigns and health experts, we all know there are huge benefits to be gained by being active. Here is a reminder of some of the key benefits.

Physical Benefits

• Reduced risk of life threatening conditions, such as, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity
• Reduces blood pressure
• Improves cardiovascular system
• Increased strength
• Increased flexibility
• Weight loss, in combination with diet
• Increase athletic skills

Mental and Emotional Health Benefits

• Increased energy and enjoyment of life
• Stress reduction and relaxation
• Maintains and promotes positive self-esteem
• Better body image
• Improves your outlook on life

Better Quality of Life

• Easier to move
• Better physical ability later in life
• Sleep better

Not everyone benefits equally from exercise, but from this list, we can easily see that we should all participate. You get a lot for a little effort.

Everyday Activity to Regular Exercise

Being active every day in our daily lives can be easy. Here are some opportunities and simple changes that can make a big difference:

• Walk whenever you can. For instance, park further away from your destination. Or, get off the bus one stop before your normal stop and walk the rest of the way home.
• Leave the car at home. Walk or cycle instead.
• Use the stairs at home, at work or when you’re out.
• Shovel the walk in winter and garden in summer.
• Plan an activity with friends instead of going to the movies.

Starting an exercise routine may feel like a big challenge. So, here are our tips to help you make the transition:

1. Select an activity you enjoy.
2. Start slowly.
3. Stick with it.

Fortunately, exercise makes you feel good so it is self-reinforcing.

Learn more about the types of exercises available to you.

Knowing the differences and benefits between the three types allows you to develop an effective workout.

Aerobic Exercise (Endurance, Cardiovascular or Cardio)

Any physical exercise in which the body uses oxygen to generate energy. Your body requires a great deal of oxygen in the process of generating energy (aka aerobic metabolic process) causing your heart and lungs to work harder. Sources of energy are carbohydrates, fats and then proteins, in that order.

Aerobic exercises use large muscle groups continuously over a relatively long period of time to improve the cardiovascular system’s intake of oxygen by cells. To be effective, it needs to be sustained for at least 15 minutes while you maintain 65-85 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Examples:

• Walking
• Running (long distance)
• Dancing
• Cycling

The health benefits from aerobic exercises are numerous. They include improved cardiovascular function, lower blood pressure, higher HDL (and decreased LDL), lower body fat, improved weight control, and improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance.

Anaerobic Exercise (Strengthening)

Any intensive, short burst exercise that causes your muscles to work without oxygen. Energy comes from stored sources since oxygen is used up more quickly than it can be replenished in the working muscle. Stored sources include glycogen (stored carbohydrates), ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate), and CP (Creatine Phosphate). This type of exercise can cause fatigue.

Due to the muscle’s reduced ability to function without oxygen, anaerobic exercises are high intensity activities with a short duration lasting less than two minutes followed by periods of rest. Any activity longer than approximately two minutes will have an aerobic metabolic component.

Examples:

• Weight lifting
• Sprinting
• Power lifting

Anaerobic exercises helps build muscle mass, strengthens bones, develops muscle strength, increases speed, improves power and increases metabolic rate. While it doesn’t burn fat, it contributes to weight loss because bigger muscles burn more calories per unit than any other tissue in your body and they burn more even at rest. (Further reading: Myths & Facts About Exercise Benefits and Weight Loss)

Stretching Exercise (Flexibility)

Stretching exercises are designed to help your muscles move further, more easily and more freely. It produces a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility and range of motion.

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts mainly use stretching exercises before and after aerobic and anaerobic activity. During the warm-up, gentle stretching can begin the process of blood flowing to muscles, reduce the risk of injury during activity and increase individual performance. Cool-down stretching can help prevent post exercise muscle soreness and stiffness.

Stretching can be an important part of rehabilitation for people recovering from an injury or surgery, and some diseases, such as arthritis. Stretching improves and maintains a good range of motion in the joints. By repeatedly stretching, with the needs of specific joints in mind, people can usually regain their full range of motion generally over a period of weeks or months.

Examples:

• Warm-up / Cool-down
• Yoga

While they may not have a direct effect on health, it can enhance your quality of life by improving your posture and body alignment. Neither anaerobic nor aerobic exercises stimulate muscles in a way to become more limber.

Why You Need All Three Exercise Types in Your Workout

Each type of exercise promotes different responses from our body. Even though we may want to focus on the benefits from one type of exercise, we need all three types to attain higher levels of fitness and prevent injuries from overtraining which can happen when a workout program only uses one type of exercise.

Your goal should be to include all three types to enhance your health benefits and lead to greater performance.

Benefits of Walking

Walking can not only help you lose weight but also lead you to a healthier lifestyle.

It improves your posture, strengthens your cardiovascular system, tones you all over, elevates your mood, delays signs of aging, and disease prevention. As with any good exercise program, it helps reduce your risk of various cancers, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and more.

Walking has the added benefit of being a low impact activity. It produces minimal weight-bearing stress on your joints. Many other activities can increase your risk of injury.

Shoes are the only piece of equipment you need. Choose good running or walking shoes that fit properly and ideally ones that provide some arch- and ankle-support. In a pinch, you can use your regular shoes provided they cushion your feet and support your ankle.

How to Start Walking

Start small and easy. Some walking programs ask you to walk a certain distance and at a certain pace. Depending on your fitness level, this may be too much, too soon. Instead walk a distance and at a pace that is comfortable to you. Your main goal should be to just get out and walk on a regular basis.

Initially walking may consist of 10, 15 or 30 minute sessions throughout the day. Don’t worry too much about your session length or distance – it all counts. In time, you can increase your duration and distance. For the best results, the goal is to have a “walking workout” three to five times a week for 30 to 60 minutes or 4,000 steps at your optimum pace. Obviously, five times a week for 60 minutes is best.

Over time, you’ll start to notice that walking the same distance starts to take less time to complete. You may feel comfortable with what you are doing and start to see some of the benefits of walking. At this point, you may want to increase your distance and intensity, and start to set some weekly goals to further increase your progress.

Exercise Walking

Walking for exercise is best achieved by recording your progress. By knowing how much you are currently walking on a daily basis, you can set weekly goals and increase your weekly target.

Start by using a pedometer to record how many steps you take over the course of a week. Divide that number by 7 so you get an average baseline number on a per day basis.

In week one, you should aim to walk your baseline number of steps every day. Each week, you should add between 500 to 1000 steps to your daily target. Ultimately, the goal is to walk between 7,500 to 8,000 steps every day.

To get your heart rate up, aim to walk faster than a stroll. Picking up the pace increases the intensity of your workouts. A moderate pace burns stored fat and can help build muscle to speed up your metabolism.

Whether you walk or run a mile, you lose virtually the same amount of calories. As with most cardiovascular activity the calories burned walking is about the distance and not the effort. A quicker pace will only burn calories faster.

Ab Crunch on a Balance Cushion / Exercise Disc /Wobble Cushion

Equipment Setup

Lie down with the exercise disc under your lower back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Place fingertips, unclasped, behind head, elbows wide.

Action

Contract your abs, bringing your ribs towards your hips and spine to a neutral position. Raise your head, neck and shoulders off the floor as one unit, while continuing to contract abs throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly lower to start. Repeat.

Variation

Point one arm towards the opposite knee, contract your abs and raise your head, neck and shoulders off the floor as one unit. Slowly lower to start. Repeat.

Perform the same exercise again with the other arm.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your stomach tight
• Ensure your shoulder blades come off the floor
• Breathe out on the contraction and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout
• Avoid pulling or holding your head with your hands
• Avoid bringing your chin to your chest
• Avoid arching your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Obliques, Transverse Abdominals

Twist Crunch with Medicine Ball

Equipment Setup

Sit down on the floor, knees bent and with the medicine ball in front. Lift legs – for added difficulty.

Action

Tap the ball on the floor on the left and then on the right while maintaining your balance and keeping your body in the same place. Repeat.

At the end of your reps, hold the ball straight up for an added burn.

Exercise Tips

• Use slow, controlled movement throughout
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain your balance throughout
• Avoid moving your body or legs to help with the movement

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Obliques
Secondary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals), Transverse Abdominals

Leg Raised Ab Crunch

Equipment Setup

Lie down, legs up in the air so they are vertical with your feet together. Hold your legs there throughout the exercise. Point your arms in the air towards your toes.

Action

Raise your head and shoulders off the floor by contracting your stomach muscles. Once your shoulder blades are off the ground then slowly lower back down again.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your legs vertical and stomach tight
• Ensure your shoulder blades come off the floor
• Use slow, controlled movement throughout
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout
• Avoid pulling or holding your head with your hands
• Avoid bringing your chin to your chest
• Avoid arching your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Transverse Abdominals, Obliques

Leg Curl on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Lie down on your back, with your heels resting on the ball. Place your hands out to the side with your hands facing up. Lift your hips off the floor so your body is straight. Only your shoulders and head should be on the floor.

Action

Pull your heels towards your bum as far as you can. Slowly push out into the starting position. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Use a slow, controlled movement throughout
• Keep your body straight and hips as high as possible throughout
• Use your hands for stability but not to push or help with the movement
• Breathe out on the way in and in on the way out. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout.

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Hamstrings
Secondary Muscle: Gluteus Maximus

Dorsal Raise (aka Back Extension) on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Beside a wall, lie down on the ball. Anchor your feet by pressing firmly against the wall. Position your stomach on the ball with your head facing the floor and fingertips on your head.

Action

Raise your shoulders and chest off the ball as high as possible using your lower back muscles. Slowly lower to starting position. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Look at the floor throughout exercise
• Use a slow, controlled movement throughout
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Keep your head inline with your body

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Erector Spinae
Secondary Muscle:

Modified Push-Up on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Place your legs on the ball. Walk your hands out into a press-up position with the ball directly under the middle of your thigh. Hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, directly under your shoulders and body straight.

Action

Lower your body by bending your arms. At the lowest point, your arms at your elbow joint should reach 90 degrees. Push up until your arms are straight without locking your elbows. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Stop when your elbows reach 90 degrees
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Keep your body straight
• Keep your hips inline with your body. Avoid raising your hips higher than your shoulders or letting them sag down.

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Pectoralis Major (Pecs)
Secondary Muscle: Triceps Brachii

Reverse Ab Crunch on Exercise Ball

Equipment Setup

Place your feet on the ball. Walk your hands out into a press-up position with the top of your feet on the ball.

Action

Pull your knees into your chest. Push back to the starting position. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your tummy tight
• Breathe out on the way in and in on the way out. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout with head steady and facing the floor
• Use a slow, controlled movement throughout

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Obliques, Transverse Abdominals

Equipment Setup

Position the machine’s bottom leg pad in front of shins (above ankles) and adjust back pad to sit with hips and knees bent 90 degrees. Sit with hands resting on supports and knees pressed firmly against the edge of the seat pad.

Action

Slowly straighten legs while keeping your tummy tight. Stop the extension just before they become straight and the knees lock. Lower legs to starting position but before the weight stack touches. Repeat.

Variation

Single leg-extension: Instead of using both legs to lift, perform this exercise with only one leg at a time. Switch legs and repeat to complete the set.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your tummy tight
• Use slow, controlled movement throughout
• Ensure your back is against the backrest
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout. Avoid arching your back or leaning
• Avoid swinging your legs

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Quadriceps
Secondary Muscle:

Ab Crunch Action

Lie down on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place fingertips, unclasped, behind head, elbows wide.
Contract your abs, bringing your ribs towards your hips and spine to a neutral position. Raise your head, neck and shoulders off the floor as one unit, while continuing to contract abs throughout the entire range of motion. Slowly lower to start. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your stomach tight
• Ensure your shoulder blades come off the floor
• Breathe out on the contraction and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout
• Avoid pulling or holding your head with your hands
• Avoid bringing your chin to your chest
• Avoid arching your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Rectus Abdominis (Abdominals)
Secondary Muscle: Obliques, Transverse Abdominals

Equipment Setup

Use a barbell rack at just below shoulder level. Get the barbell on your shoulders by doing a small squat. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip distance apart and rest the bar comfortably on your shoulders. Your feet should be slightly infront of the bar so that it feels like your weight is going through your heels. Take the weight onto your shoulders and step away from the rack.

Action

Slowly lower your body as if to sit in a chair with your hips going backward and not just down. Keep your weight over the heels of your foot. At the lowest point, your knees should form a 90 degree angle. Once complete, start to stand up, squeezing your glutes tight and pushing your hips forward as you rise. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Use a rack
• Sit back like you would into a chair
• Keep your feet parallel and facing forwards; not pointing outwards
• Put your weight through your heels; not toes
• Squat down to a 90 degrees angle with your knees before you stand up
• Concentrate on sticking your hips out behind you
• Move slowly and keep your back straight
• Breathe out on the way up and in on the way down. Avoid holding your breath.
• Avoid going less than 90 degrees
• Avoid letting your knees go over the vertical line of your toes
• Avoid slouching or rounding your back

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Quadriceps (Quads)
Secondary Muscle: Hamstrings, Gluteus Maximus

Equipment Setup

Attach a long bar to the lat pull-down machine. Sit down with good posture with your knees bent under the knee pads and feet flat on the floor.

Hold the bar wider than shoulder width apart. Lean back from hips so bar is inline with collarbone with arms extended.

Lat Pulldown Action

Move shoulder blades down, and then bend elbows in toward waist to lower bar towards collarbone. Straighten arms by following the same path as on the way down. Stop when your arms are as straight as possible but before the weight stack touches. Repeat.

Exercise Tips

• Keep your tummy tight
• Keep your back straight
• Lean back slightly keeping the bar in front of your body
• Breathe out on the way down and in on the way up. Avoid holding your breath.
• Maintain good posture throughout exercise
• Avoid letting your back arch or curve
• Avoid bring the weight down behind your head
• Avoid using your body to help the movement

Muscles Used

Primary Muscle: Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)
Secondary Muscle: Biceps Brachii, Rhomboids