In the Great American Battle of the Bulge, exercise tends to receive less attention (or at least action) than does diet. However, many experts, feel that the nationwide obesity epidemic is primarily a result of under activity, not overeating. In fact, a recent study followed three groups of people using various means to achieve weight loss: a diet only group, a diet and exercise group, and an exercise only group. All lost weight, but after two years, the only group to have kept any weight off was the exercise only group! Regular exercise (like Jazzercise) has many far reaching effects. Here's a little "food" for thought:
The "average" American gains one pound per year after age 25 due primarily to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and not necessarily an increased caloric intake.
Regular aerobic exercise (like Jazzercise) enhances your body's ability to use fat for fuel. Additionally, as you become more fit, you will be able to burn more calories in the same amount of work-out time, with the same degree of effort! Example: A moderately brisk walk burns approximately 4-5 calories per minute, so a 60 minute walk will burn roughly 300 calories. As your fitness level increases, you may be able to exercise at intensities that burn 10-12 calories per minute, burning 600 calories in the same amount of time, with the same degree of effort!
Not all weight loss is good weight loss. Extreme, or "crash" dieting may result in weight lost primarily from muscle and water stores versus fat stores, especially when exercise is not a part of your program. Exercise helps to preserve lean body mass (muscle) and facilitates fat loss. If you eat too little (i.e. less than 1000-1200 calories for women, less than 1500 calories for men) you may have little energy for exercise and your body will be more likely to burn muscle for fuel. Regained weight is likely to come in the form of fat, not muscle, leaving you worse off than before you began!
The more muscle the better. Although a single bout of strength training (weights, elastic resistance, or exercises using the body's weight as resistance, like push-ups) may not burn as many calories as an aerobic work-out, stick with it! Over time, the muscle you gain will translate to a higher resting metabolism. This means you'll burn more calories even while you're sleeping! In fact, for each pound of muscle gained, you burn roughly 50 more calories per day. Over the months and years, this can add up, making maintenance of your new weight much more likely.
Regular exercise will boost your energy level! Many of us misinterpret fatigue for hunger; we eat when what we really need is rest. Exercise, when done regulariy, increases our "tolerance" or capacity for activity, so our normal daily routine doesn't tax us to such a high degree. Less fatigue may help decrease unnecessary snacking or overeating.
Exercise can help us break the cycle of stress-related eating. Stress is a part of life; there is no getting rid of it. What we can change is how we cope with it! Turning to food to relieve our stress simply leads to depression, which in turn leads to more eating, and a vicious cycle ensues. Exercise helps us to cope with stress in a positive way that provides helpful benefits and breaks the stress-eating cycle!
Being fit adds to our self-esteem. Self-acceptance and self-esteem are the first steps towards a healthy weight. Getting regular exercise is an excellent way to start living out your commitment to a healthier lifestyle. And although you may not always feel like exercising, you will always feel better about yourself after you've done it! Getting fit takes discipline; doing it helps us prove to ourselves that we are responsible for our health and that we can get the job done! This "take charge" attitude will carry over into other areas in life, including eating.
Remember, The "perfect body" is an illusion; exercising in an attempt to attain it will result in discouragement. We were not all made to have the same hair or skin color; what makes us think we can all have the same body type? What exercise can do is help take each of us to the full potential that we were meant to be!
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