“LOSE WEIGHT, LOOK AND FEEL GREAT”
WEEKLY FITNESS COLUMNIST
By Scott Fenwick
B.S. /Hons
We want to look good. We want to become healthier. We want to lose weight. I have come across a lot of these statements with regard to body composition in my time working in the Industry. I have been a fitness expert in the United Kingdom, Dubai and now based at The Club Port Baku.
The New Year is approaching and it is a perfect time to start focusing on living a healthy lifestyle.
Many of us have commitments, which stop us from leading a healthier, better life. Furthermore, think about it: How much time do you have? There are 24 hours in a day and you only need to exercise for 1 hour in that day. Moreover, this is an astonishing 4 percent of your daily life to achieve weight loss.
General misconceptions are that if you train hard and long in the gym, the methodology will improve your ability to lose weight. This is simply not true. Recent studies suggest an excessive amount of cardio-vascular exercise is harmful to the anatomy and is detrimental to achieving weight loss for the average person.
I focus on Intensity rather than time with my clients. The exercises are fun, functional and target the whole body rather than being specific on particular body parts.
Weight loss is not just about going down a dress size or fitting into your old clothes that fit in your earlier days. It is about improving your life in dozens of significant ways.
Over the course of the next five festive weeks "lose weight, look and feel great", I will be giving you information weekly, step by step, which will lead to presenting you a tailored exercise workout for weight loss come the New Year celebrations "the 500 - calorie workout plan".
I will be your health and fitness guru! Follow my weekly fitness columns to help guide you in the right direction, providing a fantastic start for the New Year.
This week the focus will be on weight bearing exercises and its impact on achieving successful weight loss.
While any exercise is good for the body, some activities do burn more calories than others. Weight-bearing activities like running, aerobics or walking burn more calories because gravity requires your body to work harder. When doing non-weight-bearing exercises like cycling or swimming, there is not as much stress on the muscles, which means fewer calories expended. An easy way to begin is to walk along the beautiful scenic Boulevard in Baku or if it is too cold this time of the year, walking or running on a PRECOR treadmill (Running machine) is the best substitute targeting those unwanted calories.
For me, I suggest a walk at a moderate to high intensity to increase your heart rate. Blood flow will improve and calories will burn at a more efficient rate staying within your training zone.
The training zone or zones is a percentage of 50% to 70% of your maximum recommended heart rate, which is the suggested target for weight loss. Maximal heart rate is your age deducted from 220 for men and 226 for ladies.
For example, for a 33 year old male running at 60% of his maximum heart rate, the formula would be 220 - 33 = 187 (187 / 100 x 60) = 112 beats per minute (heart rate).
A Gym environment is especially good; it is very convenient and safe, with the added benefit of other like-minded people around you. An excellent way to losing weight and making your workout fun and functional would be to change the settings on the treadmill to having a slight incline mimicking walking or running up a hill. The body has to work extra hard and targets different muscle groups to better enhance your chances of success/weight loss.
My favourite training method on the treadmill is interval training, not only is it fun and varied, it really works. I will ask my client to begin a 20 minute walk, for instance, inducing a gentle pace for 2 minutes, then change immediately to 1 minute of increased speed, then back to 2 minutes walking gently, repeating this method. The PRECOR treadmills have this program already installed to make life even easier! Once you try this very simple but extremely effective tip, you will be amazed by the results.
In addition, weight bearing exercises will tone your muscles and help to control your weight as well as help you lose weight effectively. As you gain muscle (Note: Ladies will not gain muscle mass), the body burns calories more efficiently, which aids in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to manage your weight and increase your stamina. As you grow stronger, you will feel more energetic and will not fatigue as easily.
Exercise has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety as well as boost self-esteem.
My last words on this weekly topic are to be positive, stay positive and be disciplined. People are overweight because they have decided to choose habits such as eating badly, which I will discuss in next week's column "Good foods and bad foods" tailoring it towards our New Year, new you. Make it happen!