Drug Medical Information

PRINCIPLES OF EXERCISE: MYTHS AND FATS

Myth
1. Aerobic development can be achieved in half the time by doubling the workout intensity.
2. More of a good thing results in added health benefits.
3. You should stretch before you begin your exercise program.
4. The use of a rubber suit during exercise aids weight loss.
5. A hat should be used when exercising.
6. Since the main source of fuel for aerobic exercise is fat, this is the best choice for weight and fat loss.
Fact
1. Short, high-intensity workouts will improve anaerobic, not aerobic, fitness. There are no shortcuts to aerobic development.
2. Health fitness levels for life can be achieved by following the concepts described in this text. Going too far beyond the FIT (frequency-intensity-time) limits increases the risk of injury. Those persons who exercise beyond the health fitness level are usually seeking conditioning for athletic competition rather than health.
3. It is important to avoid stretching cold muscles. Light jogging or walking that results in some sweating will prepare you for your stretching session.
4. In hot, humid weather, a rubber suit traps heat, prevents cooling by evaporation, raises body temperature, increases fluid loss, and contributes to heat-related injuries and illnesses such as muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Since not even one extra calorie is burned from use of such clothing, additional weight and fat loss do not occur. In winter months, perspiration may be trapped and frozen to the skin, thus causing frostbite.
5. Although extremely popular in tennis, baseball, and some other activities, the value of a hat depends on the type you choose. Hats help keep sun off the face, reduce glare, and allow you to see better. A hat with an open top (visor) should be used in hot, humid weather since considerable heat loss and cooling occurs through the head. In cold weather, a full hat is recommended to prevent heat loss.
6. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. To lose weight, your caloric intake must be less than expenditure, regardless of the type of fuel used. As the intensity of a workout increases from a resting state (when two thirds of energy used comes from stored fat) to low or moderate aerobic activity (when fat is still the main fuel) to more intense, anaerobic activity, the percentage of fat decreases as glycogen (stored glucose) provides much more fuel. After exercise ceases, regardless of the fuel used (fat or glucose), the internal calorie count is what matters. If you burned up more calories than you consumed on a particular day, you will lose weight.
The main advantage of aerobic activity (walking, slow jogging, cycling, aerobic classes, lap swimming, etc.) for weight and body fat loss, is that you are likely to continue exercising for longer periods of time when the intensity is low and therefore will burn more total calories each workout. You also receive considerable health benefits that anaerobic exercise does not provide.
*157\278\8*