Smart Ways to Exercise

Exercise should be an integral part of your relaxation time. Health experts all agree that regular exercise is essential to both our physical and mental health. Regular exercise makes you feel positive and happy. The physical side of exercise ensures your heart gets a regular workout (it’s a muscle too) along with your other muscles, your joints remain supple and your bones remain strong.

As our lives become busier and we accept more responsibilities, looking after family and working, many of us find we have less time for ourselves. Exercise tends to be the least important priority at this time and we decide to reduce or discontinue. After a while we wonder why we lack energy, feel less positive and gain weight. Exercise should be top priority – your special time – for your own health and wellness. It is your responsibility to yourself,  to be well and be fit. You need to make time available. You will notice the change – you will function at your best and your family, friends and work colleagues will benefit as well.

At times we stopped exercising and noticed the changes. However when we began exercising, we were amazed at the power of the human body,  how quickly it responds and how you become fit again. If you are starting out – exercise for short periods and gradually increase the amount of time you exercise.

One healthy way to exercise is called Interval Training a scientifically proven way to exercise. You have to love an exercise that takes just 20 minutes. An example of Interval Training is a program called ‘Lifesprints’ which involves a routine of eight-second sprints followed by 12 seconds of slow pedaling on a stationary bike for 20 minutes, three times a week. It is more effective at burning fat than prolonged aerobics. Which is not to say that ‘LifeSprints’, devised by Associate Professor Steve Boutcher, director of the Fat Loss Laboratory at the University of NSW Australia, is a free ride, between the ‘rest’ periods you’re flat out sprinting. They tested 45 women over a 15-week period and found that the group doing ‘LifeSprints’ lost 3 times more fat than a group who did 40 minutes of sustained aerobic exercise. “The research is an exciting breakthrough” he notes. “Sprinting seems to use up fat inside the muscles, which is then replaced by fat from under the skin after the exercise has stopped.” The other advantage is that it is time efficient and produces results. “Overweight males and females won’t do it if it’s too hard,” notes Professor Boutcher. “With this exercise, you can warm up,work out,warm down and be showered and dressed in 45 minutes.”

Another example of Interval Training is where you combine your 15 minutes of strength-training with short bursts of high-intensity moves interspersed with short periods of slower movement. Try a 30-second sprint, followed by a one-minute walk and repeat for 30 minutes in total. To really burn fat and build muscle,  studies have shown that Interval Training is more effective at fat burning than lengthy cardio exercise sessions.