Exercise Partnerships - Get Fit and Lose Weight Together!

The human body is built to move. Too many times we overlook that fact by simply not exercising; sure, it's a couch potato culture, but with obesity on the rise (over 60 percent of Americans are overweight), sitting on the couch is killing us.

Not only is working out regularly good for you, but it blasts enough calories to make the weight loss exercise partnership your most important ally in the battle to lose the pounds.

The weight loss exercise partnership is integral to lose weight safely and effectively because regular fitness boosts your metabolism as well as burning off the excess calories you have consumed. More importantly, when you reduce your caloric intake as part of a nutritious and healthy diet, your body must turn to its fat stores for the energy to keep you swimming, cycling or pumping iron.

This means getting active. Most fitness gurus recommend exercising at a moderate intensity (huffing and puffing but still able to hold conversation) a few times a week to maintain a healthy weight. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), these means exercising three to five times a week for periods of 20 to 60 minutes each.

Since losing weight takes more work, the United States Dietary Association (USDA) sets guidelines higher; they recommend around 60 minutes of 'vigorous intensity' exercise three to five times a week. Most people find that performing cardiovascular exercise (running, walking, biking, hiking, ice skating) three times a week and strength training (lifting weights and isometric exercise) twice a week helps maintain good health and weight loss.

Weight training is a major part of the weight loss exercise combination because it builds and strengthens your muscle tissue, which prevents the body from breaking it down for energy. And the more muscle you have, the more efficient your basal metabolic rate becomes, increasing the number of calories your body burns while at rest.

The ACSM recommends weight training be broken into eight to ten different exercises, all designed to work the different major muscle groups in the body. Each exercise should be performed three times in sets of ten repetitions.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Weight Loss

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