The more active you are better are the chances of succeeding in weight loss programs. Indeed, it has to be backed by proper diet. Balancing calories is the way to reduce weight and physical activities help to achieve it. Diet and physical activities go hand in hand as far as weight management is concerned. Therefore, being aware of how much and what you eat is as much important to ensure that you engage in adequate physical activities. When this happens, you can be sure that you are moving in the right direction in managing weight. You will be able to reduce weight and maintain it at the desired level.
Gains from physical activities
Weight reduction is just one of the reasons why you should take up physical activities. Lowering the risks of heart disease and heart attacks besides helping in combating the threats of cancer and diabetes are the other benefits of staying physically active. Physical activities also ensure that the lungs are healthy, muscles are strong, bone loss is slowed down and you stay energetic. You are better placed to cope with stress, have better sleep and you are hale and hearty always.
Should you exercise?
It is interesting to note that the emphasis is on physical activities and not exercise alone. You need to have a lifestyle that entails good amount of physical movements and stay away from any kind of sedentary lifestyle in order to get positive results from weight loss programs. However, if your lifestyle does not allow enough physical activities then you have to take up exercise to facilitate the program. Brisk walking is a useful physical activity. The intensity of activity would depend on how much you have to exert to perform the activity. Spending 21/2 to 5 hours weekly on brisk walking is helpful for keeping weight under control. It also helps to reduce weight up to 5 % of body weight.
Targeting more reduction
If you target higher weight loss above the average 5% of body weight then you have to work harder. Additional exercises have to be done to ensure that you undergo moderate to intense activity for more than 300 minutes every week. This kind of program will not only reduce weight but will also ensure to sustain the benefit. In order to ensure that the physical activity does not turn out to be stressful and at the same time you feel encouraged to continue with it, break up the program into small parts instead of trying to do it in one go.
Ensure safety
You should never compromise on safety in pursuit of weight reduction. You should be comfortable with the physical activities that you undertake and should never risk to stress your body. If you have any health condition like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease that prevents you from performing some activities you should talk to your doctor.
The most important thing is to rely on a slow build up of physical activities especially for those who have not been much active earlier.
