Health Benefits to Excercise

6The first punch should be to get down to your fighting weight. A way to gauge your weight is by the body mass index. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight for both men and women. The accepted norms are:

Underweight = <18.5 weight =" 18.5-24.9" overweight =" 25-29.9" obesity =" BMI" align="justify">A way to determine your weight risks is your waist circumference. Place a measuring tape snugly around your waist. This is a good indicator of your abdominal (stomach) fat, which is another predictor of your risk for developing heart disease and other diseases. High blood pressure, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, a family history of premature heart disease, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, and excess alcohol intake are also risk factors.

The risk increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women. For people who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, the guidelines recommend weight loss. Patients who are overweight, do not have a waist measurement that is too high, and have less than 2 risk factors may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.

People who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Even a small weight loss (just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing those diseases. Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. The second punch is to get fit.An increase in physical activity is an important part of your fight to get healthy. Sustained physical activity is most helpful in the prevention of weight regain. Exercise has an extra benefit of reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, beyond those of weight loss alone. Start exercising slowly, and gradually increase the intensity. Trying too hard at first can lead to injury or excessive soreness.

Your daily exercise can be done all at one time, or intermittently over the whole day. Initial activities may be walking or swimming at a slow pace. You can start out by walking leisurely 30 minutes for three days a week and can build up to 45 minutes of faster walking, at least five days a week. With this regimen, you can burn 100 to 200 calories more per day. All adults should set a long-term goal to have at least 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on most, if not all days of the week.

Also, try to increase "every day" activity such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Reducing sedentary time is a good strategy to increase activity by undertaking frequent, less strenuous activities. Also take into account that common chores also add exercise. Here are some examples: washing the car, washing the windows, mopping the floor, gardening, raking leaves, pushing a stroller, shoveling snow, or walking up and down the stairs. You may also want to try flexibility exercises to help your full range of joint motion, strength or resistance exercise to tone muscles, and aerobic conditioning to increase stamina.

The knockout punch will be changing your lifestyle. Setting the right goals is an important first step. Most people trying to lose weight focus on just that one goal: weight loss. However, the most productive areas to focus on are the diet and exercise changes that will lead to long-term weight change and health improvement. Lifestyle changes will free you forever from the merry-go-round of diets, the emotional ups and downs associated with weight gain, and the need to eat for gratification instead of for healthy nutrition.

The payout, of course, is a healthier life with more energy.

Take care and love yourself.