| One of the main reasons people started to | | | | make a difference in our weight depends on the |
| exercise is because they want to look good, feel | | | | amount and type of activity, and on how much |
| good and to achieve a better quality of life | | | | we consume. Aerobic exercises such as jogging, |
| through health and fitness. Excess fats around the | | | | running, Taichi burn body fat effectively. However, |
| body definitely do not look and feel very good. | | | | many people always have the wrong mentality |
| Having too much excess fats would even have | | | | that they can afford to have a hearty meal and |
| serious health implications. There are also many | | | | eat all they can after the workout, since they had |
| health conditions and diseases associated with | | | | already burnt so much calories, which very often |
| obesity, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia (for | | | | the meal negate the effects of the workout. |
| example, high total cholesterol or high levels of | | | | Taking for instance, if we consume 150 excess |
| triglycerides), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart | | | | calories a day, we will gain approximately 15 |
| disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, | | | | pounds in a year. We could take that weight off, |
| sleep apnea and respiratory problems. | | | | or keep it off, by doing minimally 30 minutes of |
| Very often than not, instead of losing weight | | | | moderate light intensity exercise daily. The |
| from exercise, they ended up gaining even more | | | | combination of exercise and diet offers one of |
| weight than before. Why is this so? | | | | the most flexible and effective approach towards |
| This is not surprising if we understand how the | | | | weight control. |
| energy equation works. Whether we want to lose | | | | Muscle tissue is heavier than fat tissue, and |
| weight or maintain a healthy weight, it is important | | | | through exercise, we tend to develop muscle to a |
| to understand the connection between the | | | | certain degree. Thus, our normal bathroom |
| energy our body takes in (food consumed) and | | | | weighing scale will not necessarily be able to tell |
| the energy our body uses (physical activities). In | | | | whether or not we are "fat." Individual with well |
| order to lose weight, we need to use more | | | | toned and developed muscles, and with relatively |
| calories than we take in. To maintain a healthy | | | | little body fat, invariably are considered |
| weight, we need to balance the calories we use | | | | "overweight" according to standard weight charts. |
| with those we take in. If we take in more calories | | | | If we are engaging in a regular program of |
| than our body needs, we will put on excess fat. If | | | | strength and resistance training, our muscles will |
| we expend more energy than we take in we will | | | | increase in weight, causing our overall weight to |
| burn the excess fat. | | | | increase. Therefore, looking at the body |
| Exercise plays an important role in weight control | | | | composition is a better indicator of how much fat |
| by increasing energy output. During the initial | | | | we have than just looking at body weight alone. |
| phase of exercise, the body uses the | | | | In today's technology, we can easily find |
| carbohydrates from the food consumed as the | | | | commercial weighing scales which are able to read |
| main source of energy. When all the | | | | our body water percentage, body fat, muscles |
| carbohydrates are being used up, the body would | | | | and bone mass. |
| then look for the excess fat store in the body | | | | Lack of physical activity causes muscles to get |
| for extra fuel. Recent studies have shown that | | | | soft, and if proper nutritional diet is not |
| not only does exercise increase metabolism during | | | | maintained, excess calories consumed is almost |
| a workout, it also causes your metabolism to | | | | always stored as fat around the body. Those that |
| stay increased for a period of time after | | | | were once actively engage in physically activities, |
| exercising, allowing you to burn more calories. | | | | who continue to eat as they always have after |
| Thus, the intensity and duration of the exercise is | | | | settling into sedentary lifestyles, tend to suffer |
| also an important factor to determine how much | | | | from "creeping obesity." Thus, exercise should be |
| calories are being used up. It will only be effective | | | | a lifelong activity and Taichi still remains as one of |
| if we are able to burn those excess fats during | | | | the best forms of lifelong exercise for all ages. |
| our workout. How much exercise is needed to | | | | |