Fat Burning Exercises

In order to control the mass and percentage of body fat one maintains, along with the blood levels of fat and the cholesterol that surrounds every fat cell, exercise in important. However, exercise alone will not control fat, because a cocktail of a reasonable exercise plan, good nutrition, stress management, proper breathing, and an adequate amount of sleep nightly all go into the mix for effective fat control and good health. No single element of this group of vital components will work alone for very long. Uncontrolled stress and lack of asleep by themselves or in combination can directly increase fat storage, because they signal the body that it is in danger, much as if it were approaching a time of famine or a long, cold winter with scarce food supplies.

In addition to the list of interacting components mentioned above for fat control and well-being, no single exercise by itself will be effective long-term in fat control for most people. No single exercise can actually "spot reduce" the "fat" areas of one's body in a manner similar to liposuction without surgery. Fat control and reduction when necessary, require a set of different types of exercises.

Considering fat itself, fat is not bad by itself. One's body needs fat. An overabundance of fat - more than one's body can use - that is a problem. Some individuals become nearly obsessed with reducing body fat percentages to the point that their behaviors become compulsive in exercising, restricting calories (especially fats), etc. Some people take the notion to see just how far thei can reduce their body fat percentages and some of these even believe that they are better than other individuals that have higher body fat percentages. Eating orders are another bane to good health and some begin innocently in "going on a diet", while others have strong emotional/psychological roots. The point is to not over-focus on fat reduction, especially "spot reduction", which is usually not effective.

In training children, adults, and the elderly in exercise and movement arts for some time, I have found that even stretching can be effective in fat burning. My stretching classes of an hour, twice weekly, have resulted in weight loss of one pound to one-and-a-quarter pounds per person over the course of 10 weeks. Stretching is required before and after weight lifting and aerobic workouts, but it offers the extra benefit itself of helping to burn additional fat.

Deep breathing regularly is also important, because just like wood for a fire - fat cannot burn without enough oxygen. The series of exercises i recommend for a workout that will burn fat as well as produce other good results is:

• Breathing Exercises
• Stretching
• Weight Training
• Aerobics for at least 12 Minutes
• Cool Down Stretching and Breathing Exercises.

Breathing Exercises

While there are links and information about breathing exercises farther along in this presentation, I use a simple set designed to gradually increase lung capacity and the oxygen supply to the body.

Sit on a mat or the floor with legs crossed comfortably with palms of your hands on your knees.

• Close your eyes.
• Breathe in through the nose slowly to the count of 3. Exhale slowly through the mouth to the count of 3.
• Inhale through the nose slowly to the count of 5. Exhale slowly through the mouth to the count of 5.
• Inhale through the nose slowly to the count of 10. Exhale slowly through the mouth to the count of 10.
• Repeat the breathing process increasing the count by 3 or 5 each time until you eventually reach 20. Continue to train your lungs until you can reach 30. So not rush the counting, as this may take many months.
• For each session, at the longest count you can accomplish, repeat that breathing count 5 times. For example, if you can extend the count to 15, then repeat inhaling and exhaling to the count of 15, 5 more times.
• Finally, open your eyes, take one deep breath and release it with your eyes open, and rise slowly. This is useful to ensuere that one does not pass out by rising to quickly.

Exercise is physical movement that conditions a part of the human body, including the brain and the mind. Successful exercise is well planned, structured, and repetitive in nature for short-term benefits and long-term health maintenance. All exercise can burn fat to a certain extent.

Exercise improves physical and mental health, can help maintain physical and mental fitness, increase social skills, and facilitate physical and mental rehabilitation. It can prevent and treat many physical/mental illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, a wide range of joint and muscle problems, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and substance/alcohol abuse. While doing so, it decreases fat storage by burning fat as fuel. Effective exercise improves health, builds physical/mental endurance, and delays the symptoms of aging (Yu, et al. 2006; Keller, 2007).

Preparation and Follow-up

Before beginning an exercise program, visit a physician for a health evaluation and exercise recommendations. A physical exam will determine whether strenuous exercise will benefit or harm you and the doctor will formulate an individualized exercise program. You may also see a personal trainer if you are using such a professional. If you have any problem or discomfort with your exercises, consult a professional.

Stretching and cool down

Stretching before exercise and cooling down after exercise are crucial. Correct stretching helps prevent soft tissue injuries. Stretching instructions are available at your physician's or personal trainer's office. Proper cool down procedures reduce the painful muscle spasms and cramping, allow the heart rate to return to normal rates, and eliminate the buildup of lactic acid from the muscles.

Strength training

Strength training increases muscle strength by straining a muscle further than average, in what is known as muscle load. This increased workload stimulates muscle protein growth at the cellular level to facilitate muscle contraction. Strength training comprises exercise that increases muscle mass and strength, bone strength, and metabolism. It helps to maintain proper body weight, body image, and self-esteem (George, et al., 2004; Yu, et al., 2006; Keller, 2007; Kim and Kravitz, 2007; Sander, 2007). Exercise includes strength training via isometrics, isotonics, and isokinetics, along with range of motion (Keller, 2007; The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, 2007.)

Flexibility and Range of Motion

Range of motion exercise is movement that improves joint motion. It depends on the configuration of bone surfaces within a joint, the joint capsule, and the ligaments, muscles, and tendons that exert force on the joint. Accidental trauma, surgery, and immobilization or stiffness such as that of arthritis or paralysis can reduce the normal range of motion of a joint, sometimes drastically. Sometimes all movement is lost.

Range of motion exercise includes passive assist, active range of motion, and active assist to improve muscle strength and body flexibility. Passive assist is the movement applied to a joint entirely by another person or passive-motion exercise machine. During passive assist, the joint receiving exercise is completely relaxed and the force applied from outside the body takes an arm or leg completely through the range of movement available to the joints. The joint is not overworked or over stretched. Active range of motion is performed entirely by the person doing the exercise. In contrast, active assist is a joint receiving some help from an outside force. Active assist worked for quadriplegic actor Christopher Reeve, wherein he was given passive assist until he was able to provide part of the effort himself and moved to active assist. He was able to walk underwater in a pool with considerable help from outside force.

Isometrics

Isometric exercises contract the muscles, while the joints do not move. Muscle fibers maintain a constant length throughout the time and extent of contraction. An example of this is doing standing pushups against a concrete wall. The muscles of the arm are contracting but the wall is not moving because of the physical effort. Isometrics develop total strength of a muscle group or chosen muscle.

Isotonics

Isotonic refers to exercises that involve weight lifting as resistance training. Isotonic exercise requires joints to move during muscle contraction. As weights such as dumbbells or a barbell are lifted through the range of motion of the joints, the associated muscles shorten and lengthen. Calisthenics are isotonic as well, involving pushups, pull-ups, chin-ups, crunches, and others that use one's own body weight as a force for resistance training. Another form of isotonic is movement used against the force of elastic or rubberized exercise bands.

Isokinetics

Isokinetic exercise is different, because it allows a maximum muscle contraction to occur completely throughout the entire range of motion available to a joint. Isokinetics uses exercise machines to control the speed of muscle contraction. This combines the best of isometrics and weight training. An isokinetic stationary bicycle, for example, set to 60 revolutions per minute will not allow the user to pedal any faster than 60 revolutions per minute.

Cardiac Conditioning

Exercise facilitates the conditioning or reconditioning of heart muscles and improves or prevents cardiac disease in other individuals. The dominant benefit is that muscles improve the efficiency of oxygen use to reduce the amount of blood it needs to pump. This increased fitness reduces the workload on the heart, leading to increased endurance. Endurance exercise or aerobics like running, speed walking, bicycling, or swimming increase both the strength and efficiency of heart muscles and can burn fat more rapidly than some other exercises.

REFERENCES

• George, Steven Z., Joel E. Bialosky, and Julie M. Fritz. Physical therapist management of a patient with acute low back pain and elevated fear-avoidance beliefs. Physical Therapy. June 2004: 538(12).
• Keller, Joy. U.S. to introduce new physical activity guidelines: IDEA members share their visions for what the recommendations should include. IDEA Fitness Journal. Jan 2007: 16(1).
• Kim, Doyeon, and Len Kravitz. Childhood obesity: prevalence, treatment and prevention: become an advocate for kids by taking a leadership role in the war on obesity. IDEA Fitness Journal. Jan 2007: 22(3).
• Sander, Ruth. Exercise is associated with a delayed onset of dementia. Nursing Older People. Jan 2007: 39(1).
• Yu, Fang, Ann M. Kolanowski, Neville E. Strumpf, and Paul J. Eslinger. Improving cognition and function through exercise intervention in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Winter 2006: 358(8).

RELATED ORGANIZATIONS

• Mayo Clinic. Rochester, MN.
• The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Department W. 200 Independence Ave., SW. Room 738-H. Washington, D.C. 20201. (202) 690-9000.
• YMCA of the USA. 101 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. (800) 872-9622.
• YWCA USA. 1015 18th Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036. (202) 467-0801.

Aerobic Exercise

Penn State Strength & Fitness division advises that aerobics burn fat. further, an aerobic work out should last for a minimum of 12 minutes and longer if you can manage. The warm up or cool down times are not counted in this 12 minutes. The amount of time that one's heart rate (HR) is inside one's Training Zone is the only time counted. The longer and more frequently one can do this, the quicker the fat will reduce.

Why must the aerobic workout last for 12 minutes or longer?

Twelve minutes is the minimum amount of time for the body to start producing fat-burning enzymes. This is necessary for burning fat off as energy. After the initial 12 minutes of aerobic exercise, the body begins to burn fat faster.

Most university physical education colleges are recommending a combination of aerobic exercise and weight lifting, with emphasis on the aerobics, and some physicians advise to lift weights prior to aerobics, because it can kick start the fat burning process as a catalyst for the enzymes to be secreted. Some sources advise to eat nothing before exercise and nothing for 2 hours afterward in order to prolong the fat burning, but not everyone can follow this advise. I find eating lightly before training works well and that I am not hungry afterwards for at least two hours.