Exercise
The role of Exercise in Health
To maintain health and reduce the risk of health problems, health professionals recommend thirty minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days, preferable all days. This is one of the guidelines of The National Physical Activity Guidelines for adults. Regular Physical Activity can:
- Help prevent heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure;
- Reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes and some cancers;
- Help build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints reducing the risk of injury; and
- Promote psychological well-being
A number of studies have found not only is exercise important for your physical health, exercise can also improve your state of mind. Improved fitness may lift mood and improve sleep patterns.
The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss
Most of the energy we make each day supports the normal functioning of our body that is essential for our survival. The term for this essential energy need is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). BMR can be thought of as the energy used to carry out necessary body activities not related to any type of physical activity.
As a person loses weight, they lose both fat and muscle. Unlike fat, muscle is metabolically active, meaning muscle burns kilojoules even when it is not being used. Participating in regular exercise, particularly strength training assists in building and retaining muscle. The more muscle your body has, the more kilojoules you will burn, further aiding weight loss.
The intensity at which you are training at plays a part in the number of kilojoules your burn. You don’t need to exercise for hours to achieve results, the level at which you exercise could make all the difference. A high intensity workout of 20 minutes could see you burn as many, if not more kilojoules as a 60 minute session.
Getting Started
The third guideline of the National Physical Activity Guidelines for adults is to put together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all days. A good example of this sort of activity is brisk walking at a pace where you can comfortably talk. Some other examples include mowing the lawn, gardening, or medium paced swimming or cycling.
Exercise as you progress
Once you have been doing moderate-intensity physical activity for a period of time and feel ready to step it up a notch, you might look at exercising at a higher intensity level for a longer period of time. According to the National Physical Activity Guidelines for adults, research has shown that people who participate in regular vigorous activity can get health benefits over above the benefits you get from increasing your daily movement or regular moderate-intensity activity. Vigorous implies exercise that makes you huff and puff. Sports such as football, netball and basketball and activities’ such as speed walking, jogging, aerobics and circuit training are all good examples of vigorous activity according to the guidelines.
Energy Consumption by Exercise Type
The table below shows the energy consumed based on a 68kg adult over a range of different activities for duration of one hour. You can see the difference between the calories consumed through light activity compared to heavy activity such as running.
* Based on a 68kg adult
How to use the Terry White Chemists Exercise Diary
Once you register online with Terry White Chemists Weight Loss, you will have access to the range of weight loss tools online, one of them being the online diary that allows you to track your daily exercise. The diary calculates the number of calories you burn through exercise based on the type of exercise you do, your weight and the exercise duration. The diary has a range of exercises to choose from, however, if you cannot find what you are looking for simply add in your own exercise. You can track your progress throughout your weight loss journey using the diary and the charts available that allow you to see your progress at a glance. As you lose weight, you will see the difference this makes in your calorie expenditure through exercise.
