A sedentary lifestyle puts you at a major risk
We have all heard that exercise is medicine but do we truly grasp the significance of this statement? If we see the value of exercise in overall health and disease prevention, then why are there more people living a sedentary lifestyle as compared to those who put in extra effort in being physically active?
Begin by reflecting on yourself. How many hours a day do you spend sitting down? What physical activities do you engage in? How many hours a day do you get to walk or stand? Clearly, we all spend more time being inactive throughout the day, excluding the number of hours we are supposedly resting and sleeping.
According to the American Heart Association, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the five major risk factors alongside high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid values, smoking, and obesity for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, AHA states that exercise promotes weight loss and can help reduce blood pressure and LDL also known as the bad cholesterol while elevating the HDL or good cholesterol in the body.
For individuals who aren’t physically active, the 1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health recommends that all persons of all ages obtain at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity like brisk walking on most days of the week. Physically active individuals are also encouraged to increase their intensity and duration.
To jumpstart your exercise regimen and pave the way to a healthy, European and USA accredited Strength and Conditioning specialist Royan Hernandez answers three important questions on the right way to exercise:
What type of exercise should I do to lose weight?
This is always the question. But it isn’t the right one. No exercise will make you lose weight. Losing weight and fat begins with how much we eat. Only through a calorie deficit can we lose weight and fat. Even without training, we will lose weight if we are on a caloric deficit. It means eating less than the amount of our basal metabolic rate. It is the number of calories we need to sustain our body and maintain our current weight.
If we can lose weight solely through caloric reduction, why is there a need to exercise and train? When we train, we may put ourselves on a calorie deficit. “It’s just a basic calorie in vs calorie out principle. For example, if our needed calories per day to maintain our weight is 1200, we have three ways to be on a deficit: eat less than 1200 calories, burn some calories through physical activity, or do both,” Hernandez says.
Furthermore, we strength train to increase our muscle mass since it greatly dictates our metabolic rate. The greater the muscle mass, the higher the metabolic rate. The higher the metabolic rate the more calories we burn per day. More burn will lead to more weight and fat loss.
Is exercising on an empty stomach better?
“Definitely no! Acceptable, yes, but a big no,” Hernandez says, saying that fasted workouts are fine for as long as we can sustain and finish the program without any impairment of the movement and training loads. But if fasted workouts exhaust you or make you feel nauseous, stop doing fasted workouts. Doing this will increase the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level). Individuals suffering from GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux or Acid Reflux), hyperacidity, and ulcer are not allowed to do fasted workouts. This will worsen their health condition.
According to the American Heart Association, a sedentary lifestyle is one of the five major risk factors alongside high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid values, smoking, and obesity for cardiovascular disease.
When is the best time to exercise?
The best time to exercise is when you will do it with intent and commitment. Also, during the time you feel most energetic. The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.
Hernandez highlights some factors to consider.
Training before or after a meal. Some people are more in the zone before having a meal because they want an “unfilled tummy.” Some people prefer after a meal so they feel more energized.
Daily routine. Some people feel energetic in the morning and some are better during the late afternoon or at night. Feel where you are most energetic.
Training in the morning will boost your metabolism at the start of the day. Our body’s hormonal disposition is optimal because we just came from sleep and recovery. We also have lower blood pressure and reduced stress levels as opposed to the latter part of the day. Training in the morning, however, may disrupt sleep and recovery if we have to train too early just to meet our daily schedule. Moreover, training too early will demand more time for us to warm up because the body is at its lowest core temperature and the joints are still stiff.
As for afternoon training, we are already warmed up and have eaten so some might feel more energized during these times. The only downside of training at this hour is if it affects the daily routine and work of an individual.
Training at night is beneficial because you may now focus on working out and have already warmed up. Low energy, however, may be a drawback and the likelihood of skipping the training is high. In addition, individuals who experience after training jitters will have a hard time falling asleep.
It’s recommended to seek a physician’s approval before engaging in any form of exercise if you have a medical condition. Exercise programs must be individualized and thorough assessment must be conducted by a specialist.