Friday, June 5, 2009

Exercising and Your Health


Exercise is not just for people who want to lose weight. It's to get and/or STAY healthy!

Misconception: That fat turns into muscle, or vice versa. Fat & Muscle are two different things; one does not turn into another. You have muscle and over that layers of fat. Get rid of the excess layer(s) of fat, and you will see your muscles.



Did you know: Interestingly, every extra pound of muscle that you have burns 50 calories a day just to maintain its mass. So, if you gain five pounds of muscle, then an extra 250 calories per day is burned! (3,500 calories equal one pound of fat.) This is why it's not only important to do cardio, but also strength training!

Since I am not trying to lose weight but workout for maintenance and gain muscle, I only do about 3 days a week (that's in a good week, I've been slacking!) -- 15-20 min cardio (typically the elliptical machine) and 30-40 min weights (I use both free weights and machines).

I am no expert but have picked up a few things from taking weight training classes in college (hey, it was easy credits and an easy "A"! LOL), and having friends who are very knowledgeable in that area (David Miller - www.damgoodbodies.com - Check him out, he is an AWESOME trainer!).

Write your goals down - what do u want to accomplish in the gym? Figure out how you will reach that goal and STAY FOCUSED.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for posting this. It was very interesting to know. Also adapting a healthy lifestyle by taking care of your body is good info. Drinking plenty of water, eating healthy, not smoking, and just staying motivated. Not only will this be healthy for your body, but your skin will look healthy also. Again, thanks for posting this.