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Introduction: Exercise For Weight Loss
If you’re on a weight-loss mission this year, exercise can help you reach your objectives. Not only does it burn calories, but there are numerous health advantages that make exercise an even more appealing endeavor and encourages you to stick with the program.
Studies that show exercise helps with weight loss also show it can reduce your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Furthermore, those dealing with chronic pain may find even greater benefit from exercising.
1. It Burns Calories
Exercise’s Benefits For Weight Loss
A low-calorie diet combined with regular exercise can be extremely effective at weight loss. But there are many factors that may hinder your progress – like having a personal or family history of being overweight or obese, health and lifestyle habits, and genes.
A comprehensive workout regimen that incorporates aerobic exercise and strength training can maximize the efficiency of your time in the gym. Interval workouts, for instance, can maximize calorie burn by alternating periods of intense effort with rest or lower intensity exercises.
Depending on your workout style, this can help you burn anywhere from 400 to 700 calories during an hour-long session. Furthermore, you’ll experience “EPOC,” or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which allows your body to continue burning calories long after your session has ended.
But if you follow your exercise regimen with an indulgence or treat, those hard-earned calories could easily be undone and the weight loss you worked so hard for will likely return. Researchers don’t understand why this occurs, but it’s essential to remember that while working hard to burn fat, you could actually be doing more harm than good.
Exercise alone won’t suffice to achieve weight loss results because people often alter their habits after working out, such as taking a nap or fidgeting less during the day. These “compensatory behaviors” have been known to contribute significantly to weight gain, so it’s essential that you keep these in check if you want real results.
2. It Builds Muscle
Muscle building is just one of the many benefits that exercising can do for you. Aside from keeping you fit and trim, it also improves your overall health by helping to prevent disease.
Additionally, it can lift your mood and reduce stress levels. Furthermore, it suppresses appetite, leading to healthier food choices.
Muscle building requires both a structured strength training program and an appropriate diet. Protein plays an essential role in this process, helping to prevent overtraining that could stall progress.
Muscle building can be done through a variety of exercises, such as compound movements like deadlifts, squats and pull-ups. For optimal results, aim to do two to three workouts a week with between one and three sets per exercise.
Strength training requires finding a pace that works for you and using appropriate weights. According to personal trainer Zack George, most people should aim for around seven seconds of lifting the weight, followed by three seconds resting before lowering it again.
Another tip is to use enough weight so the last few reps are challenging. Once you find what works for your fitness level, increase it every time you can complete eight or more reps without completely exhausting your muscles.
To maximize the benefits of exercise, combine aerobic exercises with strength-training. These two types of workout target different parts of your body and may even aid weight loss. It’s essential to discuss your objectives with a doctor prior to beginning any exercise plan, and seek professional advice on which form of exercise is safe for you.
3. It Prevents Heart Disease
Exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and can help lower your risk for heart disease. To get the most benefit, incorporate both aerobic and strength-training exercises into your routine – the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.
Regular physical activity can also help increase your metabolism, helping to burn calories more effectively. This may result in weight loss and improved metabolic health that may protect against various chronic illnesses.
Cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, biking and swimming, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently by relieving stress on the arteries. This lowers blood pressure – another important factor in preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Additionally, it reduces inflammatory markers in the body which could lead to heart disease and other serious conditions. Finally, increasing muscle mass and bone strength helps lower your risk for osteoporosis or other related issues related to weak bones.
Finally, regular exercise can protect your heart in case of a heart attack. Exercise increases collateral blood vessels connecting different coronary arteries, serving as an extra backup source of blood supply to your heart if one major artery becomes blocked.
Before beginning an exercise program, it’s wise to consult your doctor first. According to the American Heart Association, any form of physical activity that makes you sweat and elevates your heart rate – such as walking, dancing or playing sports – can be beneficial for heart health.
4. It Prevents Type 2 Diabetes
Exercising can help people living with type 2 diabetes manage their blood glucose levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, and enhance quality of life. It may also lower other complications like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests getting 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise per week, such as walking or jogging, playing a sport, swimming, or participating in gym classes.
People living with diabetes can use exercise to lose weight and regulate their blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity – the capacity of cells to use insulin. Exercise also contributes to healthy weight loss, which may prevent or delay type 2 diabetes from developing.
Exercise can also lower the risk of having heart problems or stroke. A clinical trial conducted by the National Institutes of Health revealed that a half hour of low-intensity activity daily reduced diabetes risk by 58 percent.
Before beginning an exercise program if you have diabetes, it’s essential to consult your doctor first. They can offer guidance about which exercises are safe for you and how long each day of exercise should last.
Your doctor can inform you of any potential hazards to your eyes or other body parts from exercise. For instance, if you have proliferative retinopathy, jumping, lifting heavy weights, and making sudden movements could cause small blood vessels to grow in your eyes which could damage them and result in vision loss.
If you are worried, reach out to your doctor or certified personal trainer. It is wise to start slowly and gradually increase the level of activity so that you ensure sufficient exercise without injuring yourself.
5. It Prevents Osteoporosis
Exercising is one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis, a bone-thinning condition that can impact women and men over 50. Regular activity coupled with a calcium-rich diet can improve bone density and lower the likelihood of fractures later in life.
Exercise can also be beneficial for people with osteoporosis to keep the condition at bay. Consulting a doctor or physical therapist to create an exercise program tailored to your health requirements and fitness level is recommended.
Weight-bearing exercises can strengthen bones and slow bone deterioration, particularly in the hips and lower spine. People with osteoporosis should avoid high-impact activities like running or jumping; instead, opt for activities that put a slow, controlled strain on your body such as power walking or brisk walking.
Balance and stability exercises can also benefit you. They improve your capacity to walk, run and jump without fear of falling over or injuring yourself. Examples include standing on one leg, tai chi or other movement-based exercises.
Additionally, performing a routine of stretches can help maintain proper spinal alignment. Be sure to do these slowly and smoothly in order to avoid any pain or strain.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with an balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is also key. This includes abstaining from excessive alcohol and smoking, both of which are detrimental to bone density.
If you have a family history of osteoporosis or are already noticing symptoms such as frequent falls or an abrupt decrease in bone density, it’s critical to start an exercise program right away. Skipping exercises could make matters worse or increase the likelihood that you will fracture another bone.