Fitness and Lifestyle

The three forms of activity

1. Being sedentary (strictly speaking, a form of inactivity). This refers to sitting or lying down (e.g., watching television; being at a desk at work; resting in bed).
2. Lifestyle activity. This refers to incidental activity that is part of day-to-day life. It includes walking, standing, climbing stairs, household chores, light gardening, ordinary cycling, and gentle swimming.
3. Formal exercise. This is what people generally think of as exercise. It involves exertion to the point that that heart rate and respiratory rate are increased. It includes jogging, moderate to fast swimming, brisk walking or power walking and fast cycling.

How much physical activity is good for me?

• There is a lot of debate as to how much physical activity is good for weight loss.
• A minimum of 30 minutes total a day for good health is recommended. You can break it up into smaller blocks as opposed to 30min consecutively.
• For effective weight-loss, 40-60 minutes of medium-paced exercise is recommended, 4-5 days a week.
• The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum energy expenditure of 1000 kcal/week through physical activity, with a maximum recommendation of 2000 kcal/week for optimal weight loss. However, the US National Weight Control Registry* showed 72% of individuals met or exceeded the recommendations of a minimum energy, with 52% also exceeding the maximum recommendations of 2000 kcal/week.
• It is also important to know your energy expenditure, to determine if you are creating an energy deficit (ie. burning more energy than you are consuming). The Burn Barometer, found on the ninemsn health website:
  www.health.ninemsn.com.au under "tools", can determine how many calories you have expended through physical activity.

For example, for a person weighing 100kg and exercising for 60 mins:
Low impact aerobics – 500 calories
Water aerobics – 401 calories
Moderate effort on stationary bike – 700 calories
Singles tennis – 800 calories
Walking the dog at moderate pace (5 kmph) – 350 calories
Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort – 800 calories
Light office work – 265 calories

So… how much physical activity would it take to burn off 6 squares of Cadbury milk chocolate (152 kcal)?
Low impact aerobics – 18 minutes
Water aerobics – 23 minutes
Moderate effort on stationary bike – 13 minutes
Singles tennis – 11 minutes
Walking the dog at a moderate pace – 26 minutes
Swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort – 11 minutes
Light office work – 34 minutes

It’s all about creating that energy deficit, so that your body is burning off more than it’s consuming!

What form of physical activity is the best?

• The best form of physical activity is the one that you enjoy!! You need to make sure that your physical activity is enjoyable enough that you are going to stick to it! If you know you enjoy exercising with a group of friends – then do it! Don’t attempt to do exercise that you don’t enjoy – you simply won’t do it!
• Cardiovascular/aerobic activity is the best form of activity for losing weight (e.g., walking, cycling). Weights are a good form of exercise because it builds muscle (which will add weight but more muscle means you are burning more energy in the form of fat at rest – so it’s a trade off). However, do not sacrifice a good cardio workout to do weights!
• Don’t fall into the trap of exercising just because you know you have to in order to lose weight. It shouldn’t be a chore. Try and have your own goals for exercise that are separate to your weight-loss goals (e.g., join a team to expand your social circle, or for relaxation, or aim to complete a fun-run).
• Try to incorporate as much lifestyle activity into your day as possible. Typically, lifestyle activity is not perceived as “exercise”, and is often completed for a purpose (e.g., taking the stairs to get to the office).
• Physical activity works best when it becomes an unobtrusive part of your life. Exercise can easily become a part of your daily routine – it’s just a matter of making it a priority.
  

Did you know?

Studies on members of the US National Weight Control Registry* showed:
Only 9% were sedentary!
Members participated in high levels of physical activity
(approximately 2700 kcal/week) – this equates to 60-90
minutes per day.
Walking was the most common form of activity.
Pedometer readings of 11,000 – 12,000 steps were
needed.

It appears that lots of exercise is needed to maintain a significant loss!

*Note: The US National Weight Control Registry is a longitudinal prospective study of individuals 18 years and older, who have successfully maintained a 30 pound weight loss for a minimum of 1 year. Currently, the registry includes approximately 4,500 individuals.

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