Get off the couch and into life with fitness expert
Gary Dawkins.
Today, we introduce the first of an eight-part series
focusing on an exercise programme aimed at fitness
improvements and fat loss.
The first few weeks of the programme will focus on lower
effort aerobic cardiovascular exercises, building up to
incorporate higher effort anaerobic cardiovascular exercises.
Aerobic exercises consist of activities such as walking.
Anaerobic exercises consist of shorter, more intense effort
activities such as running up sand dunes, resting and
repeating.
Both forms of exercise are important for lasting fat loss and
fast fitness gains.
Research suggests the ideal aerobic prescription to reduce
excess fat is about 45 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise
daily.
Walking is the preferred mode of exercise for this.
The ideal workout to improve cardiovascular fitness consists
of a minimum of 30 minutes of large-muscle activity at an
intensity between 70% and 85% of maximum heart rate.
Our programme will outline the different exercises you can
perform on the beach and at the park.
We will also look at the nutritional requirements to
complement your fitness plan.
The focus of this week's programme is simply getting started.
Gary Dawkins, director of Creative Conditioning in
Dunedin, provides the answers to a series of commonly asked
questions . . .
Q: What part of the day should I exercise?
A: The earlier in the day the better. A person's total
energy expenditure is the sum of thermogenic influences.
The energy generated in physical activity makes up 15%-30% of
daily calorie expenditure and the energy required in resting
metabolism makes up 60%-75% of daily calorie expenditure.
Every time we exercise, our body undergoes a series of
internal processes that last long after we finish exercising.
These processes raise our resting metabolic rate.
If 60%-75% of our total energy expenditure in any given day
is the result of our resting metabolism then it makes sense
to increase this as much as we possibly can.
The easiest way to do this is to complete your exercise as
early in the day as you can.
However, the results can be still outstanding if you exercise
later in the day.
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