English 1010

Michelle Broussard
Eng 1010
Courtney Schoolmaster
11/17/2012
Crank it up After a twelve-hour work day, rushing home to the kids and to cook supper, is there ever any time to exercise? The benefits of exercise strongly outweigh the reasons to sit on the couch and eat potato chips. Most of our population is not only obese but out of shape. If a person is five feet four inches and two hundred pounds does not mean they are out of shape. They may not be in their average suggested weight, but if their muscle percentage is more than their fat, then they are above most of the population. Muscle weighs more than fat, so gaining muscle means gaining healthy weight. Exercise is addicting and fun, once you see the results, it is hard to stop. Even though we have such busy lives, finding time to make ourselves healthy is important.
Choosing the right exercise program is the easiest part. If you like the outdoors then walking may be the right choice. “A brisk Walk is nearly the perfect exercise” (“Health Prescription” 2001). Dr. Mason explains in Harvard’s Women’s magazine, stretching before any exercise is important (“Health Prescription” 2001). She says, walking can be done in many different ways and the most effective way is a long thirty-minute walk (“health Prescription). If walking is not intense enough then cardio is a good choice. “When it comes to fitness fads that have swept across America over the past 50 years, cardio is the king” (Newsome 2012). A good form of cardio is running. “ Do you love the feel of running in the great outdoors yet worry about the bad press that running sometimes gets. There are precautions you can take” (Carerra 2012). “Running allows you to be connected with your thoughts and the increased heart rate and endorphin response of recruiting your entire body into the movement is uplifting, invigorating, addictive”( Carerra 2012).
Core muscles are an important part of your body that allow your posture to be straight and when strengthened, they lessen back pain(“Core Muscles” 2012.) Although it takes aerobic activity to burn abdominal fat, core exercises can strengthen underlying muscles (“Core Muscles” 2012.) Along with running, core muscles can be worked out by lying on your back, bending your knees and using your abdominal muscles to sit up (“Core Muscles” 2012). Yoga is a form of stretching and strengthens abdominal muscles by allowing the body to keep balance (Newsome 2012). “Yoga, the 5,000-year old practice, has been shown to improve flexibility and balance, relieve stress, improve focus, and lower blood pressure and resting heart rate”(Newsome 2012). If you follow the CDC guidelines for length of exercise time you can consider the time it will take you to exercise core muscles as well as the rest of your body(“Physical activity” 2012). The average adult needs one hour of intense aerobic activity such as jogging or running every week and two or more days a week of muscle strengthening activity (“Physical activity” 2012). Whether you choose to do yoga or walk every week, it is important to implement some form of weight lifting.
“New exercise research has found that people who break a sweat are more productive, have greater energy, better sex lives, more mental focus and better skin” ( Newsome 2012). Those people that learn to move and break a sweat realize it is self-comforting when the number on the scale decreases. Although, if the scale’s number increases, it does not mean you are not fit. Dr. Blair explains he is overweight for his age group and height, but has run everyday for forty years, usually 25 miles a week, and he is fit ( Limacher, Blair 2006). While exercising daily, you can gain many benefits, such as preventing or controlling type II Diabetes(Limacher, Blair 2006). “Pre-diabetics that did moderate-intensity walking for 30 minutes five days a week had 58% lower rate of developing diabetes over four years of follow-up” (Limacher, Blair 2006). Limacher explains, “there are structured rehabilitation programs for people who have conditions. Most insurances pay for them when someone has suffered a stroke, heart attack, or undergone some form of surgery”( Limacher, Blair 2006). Even if you have a condition, there is always a way to stay active and your doctor can recommend a program. So, when you have the choice to sit on the couch or go outside and break a sweat, remember, only one will show results.
Other than controlling diabetes, exercise has been proven to strengthen the heart and bones (Limacher, Blair 2006). When combining diet and exercise, some studies have shown that it helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which will strengthen your heart in time(“Health Prescription” 2001). Dr. Mason explains in Harvard Health, that exercise can prevent breast cancer by indirectly reducing weight and body fat, which lowers estrogen levels(“Health Prescription” 2001). She also explains that endorphins are released when exercising and will improve depression and stress (“Health Prescription” 2001). These are excellent benefits, but you must protect yourself from injury. The most important part of your equipment is your shoes ( Carrera 2005). “Running may be rough on the feet if the proper shoes are not worn. By varying your routine, choosing to run one day and walk the next, can easily prevent injury. Running also releases endorphins that improve mood”(Carrera 2005). So if you find a couple minutes out of your busy, hectic life to exercise, maybe that next stressful day at work will be manageable.
Because 3,500 calories equals about one pound of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in, to lose one pound (“Calories burned” 2001). “While diet has a stronger effect on weight loss than physical activity does, physical activity, including exercise, has a stronger effect in preventing weight gain and maintaining weight loss” (“Calories burned” 2001). There are two types of exercise you must do in order to maintain progress and continue to lose weight(Newsome 2012). An example of aerobic activity is cardio exercising and anaerobic activity is strength training(Newsome 2012). “ If you do only aerobic stuff you will actually lose muscle mass, which will slow your metabolism. You do not lose weight during exercise, you lose it during the other 23 hours a day by raising your metabolism” (Newsome 2012). So if you are just a runner and chose to not do any type of weight lifting exercises, than you may be lowering your metabolism and losing muscle mass (Newsome 20120).
The most common excuse is not having enough time in the day to workout. There are many exercises programs that are not lengthy. “A popular workout routine is crossfit, based on the idea of “muscle confusion” it alternates between aerobic and anaerobic activity in the one routine”(Newsome 2012). “Crossfit involves doing a lot of different things and can keep you interested, whereas running you can only go forward-you don’t run side to side” (Newsome 2012). Newsome explains, crossfit can be a short program or you can add activities to it and make it an hour(Newsome 2012). There are many programs that can fit into your hectic life. The hardest part is putting on your shoes and walking out the door.
Choosing the right food and exercise routine is important. Exercise allows our metabolisms to increase and body fat to decrease. As long as the calories burned during a workout, burn half of that consumed, you will lose weight (“Calories burned” 2001). Going to a gym is not always necessary. All you need is a pair of tennis shoes and some inspiration to workout. You should always check with your doctor before beginning a program and if you have a family history of lung or heart problems. There is not right or wrong way of exercising, just simply move. Find the program that keeps you entertained and get in the best shape of your life.