Makers of Healthe Trim

Start Exercising to get Maximum Results

Exercise helps keep metabolism at a steady level, even when you eat less. Exercise also helps maintain muscle mass when you diet.  Permanent weight control involves a lifelong commitment to regular exercise as well as good eating habits.

Gyms can be scary even for the most experienced exerciser. Walking into a room full of seasoned exercisers is hard. It’s hard enough when you are fit, real scary when you are overweight.  So here are a few recommendations for starting your exercise program in conjunction with a balanced nutritional plan and weight loss program and you can do this at home! 

Start slowly and focus on exercises that don’t cause stress on the joints, muscles, and ligaments.  You can gradually increase your exercise at a pace that is safe for the heart. 

Walking is the simplest exercise to get started.  In the beginning, walk a very short distance.  Maybe walk to the end of your block and back.  Gradually increase your distance.   If walking is your exercise of choice, a pedometer can be very motivating.   Establish an hourly goal and take a walk around the house, building, shopping mall, etc. 

Portable Peddler Simply pedal for as long as you can, rest, and then repeat 5 or more times.  You can also pedal with your hands if you're not able to use your feet, which is another way to get your heart rate up and work on your cardio endurance.

Swimming and Water Aerobics
If you have access to a pool, swimming and water aerobics are great methods of exercise that builds muscle tone and burn calories without applying stress to the joints.  It is extremely low impact.  Kicking your legs while handing on the side and/or rotating your arms under water creating resistance is great exercise. 

Seated Exercises

Exercises can also be done while seated or lying on a bed and are very low impact.  Leg and arm lifts can help build muscle and increase stamina.  Marching your feet and swinging your arms can also get the heart rate going while putting no stress on your joints. 

Exercise Ball

Using an exercise ball can help to work on balance, stability and abdominal strength.  Some of the basic exercises you can try include sitting on the ball (try watching TV for a while and you'll feel your body working a little harder than usual), marching, or balancing by lifting one foot off the floor, holding, and then lifting the other foot.

Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercises are exercises where oxygen is used to produce energy, in order to fuel the body for prolonged activity. These exercises are performed at moderate intensity for longer duration. They tend to improve the overall oxygen consumption of the body and simultaneously boost body metabolism.  These exercises include long distance running, cycling etc.

Aerobic Exercises:

Brisk Walking                Dancing             Jogging                       Cycling                         Skating Swimming                     Vacuuming        Lawn Mowing               Leaf Raking                  Snow Shoveling
 

Anaerobic Exercises
Anaerobic exercises are exercises where the energy requirement of the body exceeds that provided by breathing, and body is forced to work without oxygen. Because of this lack of oxygen, anaerobic exercises are only performed for short durations. These exercises include activities such as sprinting, power lifting etc.

Anaerobic Exercises:

Baseball               Sprinting                              Weight Lifting                    Leg Lifts                TennisArm Circles                  Window Washing                   Dusting Laundry                Curl Ups

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercises are simple, moderate intensity workouts performed for a longer duration. Anaerobic exercises are high intensity workouts performed for a short duration of time. On an average, aerobic exercises may last for about 20 minutes, while anaerobic exercises generally last for about 2-3 minutes. As aerobic exercises are performed for a longer duration, the endurance levels required are higher compared to endurance levels for anaerobic exercises.

Aerobic exercises facilitate proper circulation of blood and oxygen in the body. These exercises help in reducing blood pressure and fat burining.  Anaerobic exercises, on the other hand, help in improving strength and muscle mass. They help in enhancing the power, speed, and metabolic rate of the body. The biggest disadvantage of aerobic exercises is that they tend to decrease body mass and strength of an individual.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Weight Loss
What form of exercise, aerobic or anaerobic, is better for you when it comes to weight loss?  Aerobic exercises, such as jogging and skipping, do help in weight loss, but anaerobic exercises have a slight advantage as these exercises burn fat and continue to burn fat during cool down and rest.  More importantly, anaerobic exercises also target at building muscles, and in this process of muscle building, tend to burn significant amount of calories.