Healthy Lifestyle, Helpful Exercise Tips

A Healthy Lifestyle

Being "thin" does not mean being "fit"!

Amy and Sue are both 5'4" and weigh 150 pounds (68 kg). Each has a starting body fat percentage of 35.7%. To get fit, Amy cut calories and tried a "fat-free" diet. Sue reduced her calorie intake, but added regular aerobic exercise and strength training.

At the end of eight weeks, each woman lost 15 pounds (6 kg). What's the difference? As you can see from the chart, Amy actually got "fatter," gaining body fat. Sue lost weight and decreased her body fat.

Through regular exercise you can lose weight by burning fat. With diet alone, you lose weight by losing beneficial muscle and bone tissue.

The American Heart Association recommends 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times a week to promote cardiovascular fitness. Aerobic Exercise or Cardiovascular Training raises your heart rate, strengthening your heart and lungs while you burn calories. To be effective, you must reach and stay within your "target heart rate," defined as 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. To determine your target heart rate, multiply your maximum heart rate by 50-70%. If you raise your heart rate above your target range, you will still get an aerobic benefit, but you will not burn fat.

Examples:

Age	Maximum Heart Rate	Target Heart Rate
25	220-25 = 195	97.5-136. 5

35	220-35 = 185	92.5-129.5

45	220-45 = 175	87.5-122.5

8
8

Fitness professionals recommend at least 30 minutes of strength training two to three days a week. Resistance or Strength Training firms the body and tones the muscles. While these exercises, which include weight lifting, sit-ups, and toning, do not directly burn fat, they do build muscle. Muscles burn fat while you're working out and while you're at rest.The more lean muscle mass you build, the more easily your body can burn calories and reduce body fat.

Helpful Exercise Tips:

•Make exercise a habit. Choose a time every day –even 30 minutes

– and stick to it.

•Vary your workout. Mix up your activities to avoid burn out.

•Recruit a friend! Working out as a team keeps you both motivated.

•Keep a success journal. Write down your activity, weight and body fat percentage.

Helpful Eating Tips:

•Make sure no more than 30% of your daily calories come from fat, with no more than 10% saturated fat.

•Never skip meals! Instead, eat sensible portions at every meal and use small, low calories snacks between meals to help control hunger.

•Balance your calorie intake with your activity level. Eat less on low activity days than you do on days where you enjoy rigorous exercise.

•Follow the USDA’s Food Pyramid as your guide to a healthy, balanced eating plan.