Exercise to Support Weight Release
How many of you do not like exercise or have trouble getting started? Or, do you start an exercise program only to stop after a few days or weeks? I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to maintain an exercise regime, but it is important to exercise, because it dramatically enhances your hormone balance and positively affects your energy, endurance and stamina. It’s difficult to visualise the benefits initially, but once you get started and stick with a program, you’ll start to experience them and then you’ll be a believer, too. Again from personal experience, I recommend exercise that you can enjoy (so that you don\’t see it as a punishment).
Exercise plays a key role in reversing insulin resistance, increasing activity of glucagon, the major fat burning hormone, increasing testosterone (necessary for men, but also for women) and DHEA (dihidro-epi-androsterone) and increasing natural human growth hormone (HGH). It is also connected to improving cortisol balance for better ability to manage day-to-day stress levels. When people are not exercising, it is easy for these important hormones to be out of balance and create a preference for weight gain.
In addition to hormone balance, exercise increases your levels of endorphins, natural morphine-like biochemicals that help you handle stress and improve your mood. It also raises the brain’s level of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that makes you happy.
If you’re still not convinced to get moving, here are even more benefits of exercise:
- It keeps your blood sugar stable
- Controls your weight
- Controls your appetite
- Keeps your bones strong
- Prevents cancer
- Improves joint function
- Reduces the risk of stroke
- Prevents urinary incontinence
I recommend a mix of interval training (e.g. swimming one fast lap freestyle, then a slower lap breast stroke, or walking fast for 200m, then slower for 200m), strength training (using light weights) and yoga for the best hormone balancing results. PlayFunFitness will provide all of this in one go. Click here for more information
Exercise Routines for Sustainable Fat Loss, Weight Release and Youthful Living
Exercise is critical as part of a healthy lifestyle, for fat loss and weight release and to ensure longevity. Here’s the good news: research now shows that the right kind of exercise can turn back the hands of time, while allowing fat loss, improved insulin sensitivity and mood – the more vigorous the exercise is, the more benefit it will have!
Cardiovascular exercise (or \”Cardio\”)
Steady state training (SST):
- Aerobic exercise done for an extended period of time
- Usually 30-60 minutes at a constant medium to high intensity
- Example: jogging or walking for 30 min at the same level
- SST actually burns 25% muscle and only 75% fat only while exercising
Interval training (IT):
- Aerobic exercise broken down into a period of high-intensity (exertion) exercise followed by lower intensity exercise (recovery)
- These periods are then repeated for 4-20 minutes – therefore less time is required than for SST!
- IT burns 100% fat and builds muscle (to increase metabolism) for up to 24 hours after exercising.
Therefore, Interval Training is the Best Exercise for Fat Loss, Longevity,Muscle Retention and Cardiovascular Fitness!
Type of Exercise:
- Completely up to you, just do it! – Gym, Home based or an exercise class
- Choose something you enjoy – walking, running, dancing, swimming or jumping rope.
Anri van der Merwe, Fitness Specialist (Physiologist & Personal Trainer) and Founder of PlayFunFitnessTM, is also available for consultations, group or individual exercise classes and/or programs. Let’s face it – we all need motivation and support! These classes and programs are specifically designed for your goal. Correct technique and posture is crucial for efficient weight release.
Interval training program
Try to do this 12-minute program at least 3 times during the first week. Increase to 4-6 times a week over the next month. Each time you do it, slightly increase the intensity level.
Kick off with a 3-5 minute warm up (e.g. slow walk or swim, some yoga stretches) before your first set, and cool down after your last set.
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 | Set 6 | ||||||
| Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery |
| 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min |
- Exertion phase – a pace that you find challenging. The speed and intensity of your exertion should be fast enough for you to break into a sweat, but not so intense that you have trouble completing the 12-minute program.
- If you’re new to exercise, or feel out-of-shape, take it easy for the first two weeks.
- During the recovery phase, slow down to an easier pace. Don’t go too slow, or stop moving during this phase. Focus on normalising your breathing and tell your mind and body to relax
It won’t take long to build up your stamina until you can really get involved in some of the more vigorous exercises that lengthen your telomeres even more, like sprinting at full speed or adding weights to your routines.
Of all the benefits of exercise, building and maintaining muscle mass is the most important and health enhancing. Building sufficient muscle and maintaining muscle strength, will keep you young!
Resistance Training Routine (developed by Anri)
- Resistance training (RT) is essential for muscle building and toning the flab.
- RT is crucial for fat loss as muscles are metabolically very active even in a rested state (thus you will burn more calories daily)
Do the full body workout 2-3 times a week in addition to the Interval Training Workout for optimal results (toning and fat loss). Refer to our FitSMART Guide for a detailed exercise program for beginner-, intermediate- and advanced level.
| Full body workout*Come and join us for a PlayFunFitness Class or do the following exercises (posture, technique and breathing is essential) | |
(3 sets, 12-15 reps) |
(3 sets 12-15 reps)
|
(3 sets, 12-15 reps) |
(3 sets 12-15 reps) |
(3 sets 12-15 reps)
|
CORE (abdominals & back):
(3 sets 1 minute)
(3 sets 10-15 reps)
(3 sets 8-12 reps) |
For more exercise routines and information, visit www.drarien.co.za/weight-control-clinic/playfunfitness