Question:
I have never exercised before. What do I need to know before I begin?
Answer:
First of all, it is wise to check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. A check up will give you peace of mind, it's the first place to start. Secondly, think about your objectives. Are you interested in losing weight? Gaining weight? Gaining cardiovascular benefits? Becoming stronger? There are hundreds of activities to choose from, including weight training, aerobic classes, participation in sports, the list is endless. Try to choose something that interests you, if you find an activity that you enjoy, you will be more apt to stick with it!
Question:
Help!!! I have a lot of fat around my midsection. I do hundreds of sit-ups every day and nothing seems to be helping.
Answer:
This is a great question. If you want to whittle the waistline, you must also reduce body fat. All the sit-ups in the world are not going to give you a flat tummy if you do not adhere to a healthy diet and add sufficient aerobic and strength training exercise. Sit-ups will strengthen the abdominal musculature, but in order to see the results of all your hard work, you need to eat properly, as well as include cardiovascular activity as part of your exercise plan.
Question:
For years I have been faithfully doing aerobics 5 days a week for an hour and still cannot seem to lose the weight!! What am I doing wrong??
Answer:
Aerobic activity is only one piece of the fitness puzzle. To lose body fat you must also watch your diet and add some form of resistance training, thereby adding lean muscle tissue to your frame. Lean muscle tissue increases the metabolism 24 hours a day, aerobic activity increases the metabolism only for a few hours.
Question:
As a female, I am afraid to lift weights, I don't want to get big and bulky like a man!!!
Answer:
Very few women have the genetic capability to get very muscular. Huge muscles are related to testosterone levels in the body, men have higher levels of testosterone by far than women do, so you needn't worry. You may have seen pictures of competitive women bodybuilders with huge muscles and a very masculine appearance. Most, if not all of these women use anabolic steroids, which are artificial male hormones.
Question:
Ok, I am ready to start exercising. How many days a week should I workout and for how long each time?
Answer:
This depends on what form of exercise you are doing and what your objectives are. For beginners, I recommend 3 days per week of strength training, allowing for one day of rest between workouts. You do not need to spend more than an hour for each weight training session. For aerobic activity, I would recommend that you start with a low intensity 5 minute warm up at 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. This would be followed by 20 minutes at approximately 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, finishing with a cool down of approximately 5 minutes at 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. As you get into better
shape, I recommend increasing the duration of the aerobic sessions before increasing speed or other intensity.
Question:
I enjoy walking on the treadmill. Even though I am not a beginner, I never know if I am working out hard enough. Is there a good way to judge?
Answer:
I would ask you what you are trying to accomplish with your aerobic activity. There are different "zones" or levels of intensity to choose from. First of all, we need to find your maximum heart rate. To find this number, subtract your age from 220. If you train at 50 to 70% of this number, you will be burning approximately 10% carbohydrates, 5% protein, and 85% fat. At 70-80% of your max heart rate, approximately 50% of calories burned are from carbohydrates, 50% from fat and a very small amount from protein. At 80 to 90% approximately 85% of calories are burned from carbohydrates, 15% from fat and less than 1% from protein. Since you are accustomed to exercise, you can
change your workouts by increasing elevation, speed or simply by adding minutes.
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