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Exercise Can Turn Bad Fat Into Good Fat
Researchers have found that exercise helps “bad” fat transform into a form of “good” fat that is more metabolically active.
The findings were presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 73rd Scientific Sessions.
[header 3]Humans have two types of fat:[/header]
– Brown fat (the good fat) – this type of fat burns through calories to generate body heat.
– White fat (the bad fat) – this fat develops as a result of storing excess calories, it is just an energy reserve.
People with more brown fat are generally slimmer and better able to stay warm when it is cold, whereas individuals who have high levels of white fat tend to live more sedentary lifestyles.
In this study, the researchers found that mice and men who underwent an intense exercise regime experienced a browning of their subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SCWAT).
Exercise Improves Outcomes in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Working with an exercise ball significantly improved muscle strength and ability to walk in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), did not worsen disease activity, and increased well-being, according to a new study.
“Although exercise is recommended for AS patients, its benefits have not been clearly defined, and patients can be reluctant to try it,” said lead investigator Marcelo de Souza, PT, MSc, from the Federal University of Sao Paolo in Brazil, in a press release
His colleague, Fabio Jennings, MD, also from the University of Sao Paolo, presented the study results here at the European League Against Rheumatism Congress 2013.
All 60 patients had received at least 3 months of standard drug treatment before study enrollment and continued their medication during the study. Thirty patients were randomized to an exercise program with the exercise ball and 30 were randomized to no prescribed exercise and served as the control group.
When it comes to fitness, size doesn’t matter
This year, I celebrated my 30th anniversary in the fitness industry. Reflecting back, the industry has come a long way since the early ’80s, when doing excessive repetitions of exercises at lightning speed with no awareness of technique was the only way to workout. It really didn’t matter what you did as long as you were wearing the right outfit! Don’t get me wrong, it was fun, but lacked intention.
Today, the level of education is greater than ever and certified fitness professionals have access to groundbreaking research in training methods, individual assessment and health and disease prevention. Training has become much more sophisticated, effective and methodical.
However, there is still an obsession with the body beautiful image that is portrayed in advertising, infomercials and the media. Recently, I heard a highly recognized fitness professional say, “I have to be this thin for people to buy my product.” I question whether we have grown at all or are we still attached to the idea that no matter what, it is how you look that determines whether you are fit.
According to Dr. Steven Blair, director of research at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas and one of the leading researchers in exercise, aging and medicine says, “Health and fitness is not determined by size.” In fact, it may have very little to do with the way we look.
How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau
So many weeks in to your diet and you’ve been doing really well. Pounds are coming off, the inches are going and you are probably feeling quite pleased with yourself.
Then all of a sudden your daily weight in session is the same for two days running, and then three, and then four. Even though you’re exercising and you’re eating as you know you should do, nothing is moving in the scale front. You have reached what is known in the trade as a plateau.
Here’s a short but sweet article that will give you a few tips and tricks on how to deal with it.
You’re doing everything right. Counting calories and lifting weights and doing massive amounts of cardio. One day, you realize that you’ve stopped burning fat. No longer can you fit into smaller and smaller clothes; the scale is unchanged for days, perhaps weeks. How frustrating. You’ve hit a weight-loss plateau that can easily be broken.
Steps
- Trick your body. Change up your routine. If you’re hitting the exercise bike or the elliptical, do something different. If you are doing the same exercises over and over again, your body “knows” what to expect. It’s called “specificity of training”. If you work out at a gym, change your cardio routine by jumping on a stair-climber, a treadmill, or a rowing machine. Try ten minutes of intense cardio work on a machine and jump on another and repeat. Mix up your routine so it’s not a routine.
- Join a sport. An active sport is a great to change up your routine. Sports like racquetball, tennis and basketball will work different muscle groups with lateral movement instead of the same boring forward movement on a treadmill or elliptical (that’s not to say that the treadmill or elliptical aren’t good machines, but mix it up!). If you don’t have a gym membership and instead get your cardio by jogging, try riding a bike or swimming or some other such exercise. The key is to try something new to “trick” your body into losing weight.
- Weight train. The more muscle mass you have the more calories your body will need to maintain it. This is very important and very effective. You may feel more hungry after a heavy lifting session; this is your body trying to supply the needed calories to increase the muscle mass (tips on how to deal with this later). Ladies, don’t be afraid to lift some heavy weight. There are plenty of girls at the gym who may look thin but are a bit soft in the flesh. This may make them want to do more cardio to burn the fat. This is a perfect reason to hit up some weights and tone up. Eat only the right type of carbohydrates. It’s important to have carbohydrates in your diet and life without them, as many of us experienced in the early 2000’s with the Atkin’s diet is a pain. What works is to eat “good carbohydrates.” Multi-grain bread is fine, but have no more than a couple of slices a day. The point is to stay away from refined sugars. These are found in pasta, white breads, cakes and other sweets and all the things we think we love. Even small amounts can kill your diet so it’s best to stay away from them in the first place. The good news is when you eliminate heavy sweets from your diet, it only takes a few days to not crave them anymore. They will appear unappealing because such a diet forces you to make healthy choices in the food you eat.
- Increase your protein intake. You have to supplement something for cutting your carbohydrates right? Protein is excellent. It promotes strong lean muscle tissue which is beneficial to fat burning. Protein fills you up better than a heavy carbohydrate meal. This is an added benefit to help cut your caloric intake.
- Eat six small meals a day. Eating small portions throughout the day will help keep your metabolism going. This is an extremely useful tactic in breaking your weight-loss plateau. Eat something when you wake up in the morning, perhaps a small omelet with cheese. And as you continue throughout the day, snack on cheese or some other natural, unprocessed food. Pretty much keep your meal times as normal; breakfast, lunch and dinner with a meal in between each and something for the evening. It’s not that important to count your calories, but try to be a scientist and find out what works best for you. What can you eat that is small and will curb your hunger for the next 2 and a half hours before your next small meal? Keep it higher in protein, small in calories, and nutritious.
- If you must count calories then aim to eat a consistent amount of calories, and track your caloric intake regularly. Many diets fail from overindulging, which is brought on by an overly restrictive diet plan. Instead, aim for a consistent caloric intake that will allow you to fit in indulgences as needed. This way, you can enjoy eating while still achieving your weight loss goals.
- Change your long cardio session to shorter more intense interval training. Conventional myth states you have to participate in a certain “fat burning” zone in order to lose body fat. Stale, long, boring cardio is actually keeping people stuck in their plateaus. Instead, favor sprint interval training to set a new challenge to the body. Making this change will reinvigorate the adaption response. Initiate the intervals by incorporating one-minute bursts of intense activity then return to a normal pace for one to two minutes. Research has shown you will significantly raise your heart rate during and for up to 6-9 hours after the workout, thus burning more calories during and post exercise.
- Keep hydrated. Water is good for you; it cleanses your body of toxins and will make you less hungry throughout the day. Stay away from sports drinks; they’re just empty calories.
- Getting 8 hours of sleep and limiting stress is a sure fire way to reinitialize the weight loss process.
- Keep your exercising consistent, meaning don’t skip out on workouts. Be committed to your weight-loss by lifting every other day and doing cardio at least 5 times a week, even more if you really want results.
- Do your resistance training before your cardio. You’ll use up your glycogen stores doing the weight training and when you move on to cardio, your body will use your fat stores as a fuel source.
- Be careful to have a mixture of healthy foods. Change up your fruits and vegetables. Learn how to cook healthy meals that are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. It’s important to get all the nutrients you need.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
How to Start Strength Training With Great Results
Strength training is an excellent way to slim down, and is an even better way to make your body stronger. It should be a part of every exercise program. However, if you haven’t done strength training in the past, it can be tricky figuring out what you should do. This article will tell you how to start strength training and get excellent results.
Before you start strength training, you should take several weeks to really educate yourself about the process. Learn about what muscles you’d like to focus on and which exercises you’d like to do. Study them carefully and be sure your form is right. Good form is crucial. You shouldn’t worry about pushing yourself too hard. This is a time for your body to adjust.
You should begin your exercise with a full body workout. After that, pick a single exercise for each body part you’d like to work on. In your first week, you should aim to do between 10 and 15 reps of each exercise without any additional weight. You should also work out every other day rather than every day to give your muscles a chance to recover.
In your second week, add in a small amount of weight – around 5 pounds. You should keep giving yourself a day to rest in between, but can start doing your workout routine twice a day instead of just once. If you’re experiencing a lot of muscle soreness, start taking an over the counter anti-inflammatory medication.
In the weeks to come, you should perform one additional rep of each exercise. Once you’ve worked your way up by five more reps a day, add additional weight and drop back to the rep level you started at. While you should give your body at least one day a week to rest, you can now start doing as many workouts as you’d like. Just be careful not to push yourself too hard. Drink plenty of water and work on proper breathing. Wear workout gear that’s comfortable and easy to move in.
During this time, some of the exercises you might want to try include squats, lunges, and pushups. You’ll probably also want to do a little cardio. Crunches and oblique twists are a great way to work your abs, while dead lifts and calf raises are ideal for working your lower body. Experiment and find exercises that you’re comfortable with. You’ll be able to get better results if you feel good about what you’re doing.
If you want to lose fat and build muscle, stick to low weights. Raise the weight a little if you’re hoping to bulk up, and kick it up even higher if you’d like to improve your endurance levels. Work up to any weight.
Now that you’ve read this article, you know everything you need to know to start strength training. Read up on various exercises, put a routine together, and get to work. Just keep in mind that if you have any medical conditions or are recovering from an injury, you should talk to your doctor before you start your new exercise plan. If you stick to the advice here, you should get excellent results.