7/29/2019 Exercise Obesity

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Exercise and ObesityObesity is one of t he largest health p roblems aff lict ing our count ry, and a growi ng concern,especially among our children. In fact, 33 percent of adult s and 20 percent of chil dren in t heUnit ed St at es are considered ob ese.

Obesit y is defi ned as having excessive am ount s of body f at . Body f at (adipose t issue) i s necessaryfor cert ain bodily funct ions, but when it accumulates in excessive amounts, it can lead t o a wi dearray of ailment s, i ncluding:

Heart disease High blood pressure Increased chol est erol Diabetes Certain types of cancer Orthopaedic problems Musculo-skeletal diseases Decreased f lexibili t y Diff iculty breathing

Your body f at amount is usually expressed as a percent age of your w eight r elat ive t o your leanweight (muscles, bones, organs, et c.). For example, an individual w eighing 200 pounds wit h a bofat percent age of 15 percent has 30 pounds of body f at and 170 pounds of l ean weight.

By medical def init ion, a m ale is considered obese when he has more t han 25 percent body fat , ana female is considered obese when she has more t han 32 percent . It is more accurat e, t herefore, tdescribe someone who is obese as being "overly fat" rather than "overweight."

Several met hods are available f or det ermi ning your percent age of body fat (skin-fol d calipers aret he most pract ical). Each method does have its limit ati ons, how ever, so consult wit h your physict o f ind t he appropriat e method for you.

Genetics plays a role i n how pr one someone i s t o obesit y;however, t he condit ion occurs as more calories areconsumed t han are expend ed. The excess calori es areconvert ed t o f at and gradually an individual becomes obeseover ti me. Without resort ing to surgery, you must exerciseand eat r ight t o reduce body fat .

Regular exercise (combined wit h proper nut rit ion) canconquer the battle against obesity as well as safeguardagainst t he healt h risks associated w it h obesit y. In f act,research has shown that regular exercise is the commondenominator for form erly obese individuals who have keptt he weight of f f or a long period of t im e.

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If y ou are obese, your exercise programme should be based on low-intensit y aerobic act ivit y where t he duration is progressively increased. Durat ion and fr equency are more import ant t han intensity.

Exercise BenefitsA comprehensive exercise programm e also gives you mor est amina, st rength and mobilit y. It can even bolst er a posit ive bodyimage and raise self -est eem. As a result , your qualit y of l if e isimpr oved significantl y.

Bef ore b eginning any exercise program me, you should discuss yourplans wit h your physician. A t horough medi cal examination and anexerci se t oler ance t est ing (st ress t est ) are advised. Be sure yourdoctor reviews your m edications to avoid drug-associatedcomplications during exercise.

Starting an Exercise Programme

Once you have received medical clearance from your physician, i tis impor t ant t o get sound advice from a Physiot herapist who canhelp prescribe a safe, eff ecti ve exercise programme.

Be sure t o complement your exercise programme w it h a proper diet . Your goal should be t osignificantl y increase your caloric expendit ure w hile decreasing your caloric int ake.

Exercise GuidelinesIn addit ion t o aerobic act ivit y, you should engage in a weight t rainingrout ine. Weight t raining or resist ance training not only strengthens t hemuscles and bones, but also raises met abolism by in creasing t he mu scle-t o-fat rat io. As a result , you will burn more calories at rest. Finally, yourexercise programme should include stretching exercises for enhancedflexibil i t y and mobil i ty.

Focus on the quant it y and qualit y of t he exercise and not on t he amountof w eight lost . Upon init iati on of an exercise programme, t he body has at endency to gain lean weight (muscle) so don't rely on t he bathroomscale in t he beginning t o measure your p rogress. If exerci se is regularl yperformed, t he excess fat wil l definit ely come off !

Cardiovascular (aer obic) exer cise should b e t he f ocus of your exerci se program me b ecause itprovides overall healt h benef it s, including fat loss, an increase in daily energy levels and areduct ion of healt h risks.

Endurance and Stamina BuildingPerf orm cardiovascular acti vit y t hat places mini mal stress on t he j oint s and produces minim almuscle f ati gue. Good choices include w alking, swim ming and w ater exercises, as well as recumbeor st ati onary bicycling.

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Duration of exercises Exercise four t o five t imes per w eek, 30 to 60 minut es per session at a low t o moderat e

int ensit y. Be sure t o st ay wit hin 40 percent t o 70 percent of your t arget heart rat e. St art slowl y! The f irst f ive mi nutes should be your "warm -up" to give your body t he neces

t ime i t needs t o get used to t he activi t y. Continue at a comfort able pace that al lows you to t alk wit hout diff iculty and not perspire

profusely. Always slow down f or t he last f ive minut es of your workout t o al low blood to r eturn f rom

working muscles t o t he heart and for your body to r et urn t o it s rest ing st ate. Never skip t h"cool-down."

Finish with stretching exercises. Focus on increasing duration first, and then increasing intensity. If you were previously sedent ary, you may want t o st art wit h t wo or t hree 10 minute

moderat ely-paced walks per day. If possible, t ry t o exercise in t he morning. This will helpboost your energy level f or t he day and increase your met abolism, t hereby burning more f a

A conservati ve resist ance-training programm e is recommended for t he obese. Simple, basic movements are best and can be performed by most beginners using weight

machines and lighter dumbbells. These exercises will help strengthen your bones andmuscles by impr oving funct ional fit ness - t he abilit y t o perf orm everyday t asks and act ivitwit h great er ease.

Furt hermore, a higher muscle-t o-fat rat io increases met abolism f or greater caloricexpenditure.

Muscular/Skeletal Fitness Perform exercises that target the major muscles groups, such as your

chest , back and shoulders. In additi on t o w eight m achines and dumbbell s,you can use rubber tubing or elastic bands to provide the resistance.

Aquati c exercises/ swim ming off er r esist ance for your muscles whil eplacing lit t le impact on the j oint s. Perf orm t hese exercises t wice a weekand gradually increase t o t hree t imes per week. Be sure t o t rain onnonconsecut ive days.

Begin wit h one set of 12 t o 15 repeti t ions per exercise and graduallyprogress t o t wo set s per exerci se using enough resist ance so t hat it 's aslight st ruggle t o complet e the last couple of repet it ions.

Slowl y warm up your body befor e resist ance tr aining. For example, walk ordo light calist henics for at least 10 minut es.

Alw ays perf orm exercises in a slow and control led m anner t o ensure t he t argeted m uscleperforms the work.

These exercises focus on enhancing posture and flexibility, and minimizing stiffness, as weas helping gain confidence in balance and mobilit y, w hich reduce the r isk of inj ury.

Flexibility, Balance and Mobility... Only do st ret ches aft er t he body has warm ed up, such as aft er a w alk.

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Perform stretches for all major muscles, such as legs, chest, back and shoulders. Thisexercise can be perfor med daily or at least four t imes per week.

Perf orm all stret ches in a slow and contr olled m anner. Hold all of t he st ret ches for 10 t o 3seconds wi t hout bouncing/ j erking.

Do st ret ches whil e st anding, m odifying the stret ches t o suit your comfort level.

Special Precautions Gradually increase t he durat ion and int ensit y of t he exercises. Because j ogging may overst ress t he knees and hips, it is not t ypically recomm ended f or t he

obese. Obese people are very suscepti ble t o dehydrati on and should fr equentl y drink f luids befor e

during and aft er exercise. Because they are less adaptable to temperature changes, obese people should wear light

clot hing that all ows for heat exchange. Slow down or stop if you experience any of the following health warning signs - chest pain

short ness of breat h, pain in the neck or jaw , palpit ati ons, m aj or muscle or j oint pain,nausea or vomi t ing or excess f at igue.

Please consult your physician on questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.