Do you want to be skinny or healthy?
Too many people search and attempt various diets to lose weight but neglect an essential element for overall health. You probably already know what it is; fitness.
Because 68% of the adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, it’s great that many have recognized the need to lose weight to improve their health, but weight loss alone does not guarantee good health.
Sure, nearly every diet promoted today, whether they’re healthy or not, will result in weight loss. The one thing these diets all have in common; consume fewer calories than is expended daily. But there are healthy diets, and then there are unhealthy diets; many of them restrict essential macro-nutrients necessary for good health, and some promote other unhealthy eating habits as well. (See how the experts’ rate 40 popular diets.)
Then many people depend on diet alone, neglecting physical activity, which is imperative for overall health. Mounting evidence suggests that our bodies need regular, moderate physical activity that gets our hearts beating and forces our muscles to work harder than they usually do to stay healthy.
As I mentioned in previous posts, dieting while neglecting exercise will usually result in losing a lot of muscle tissue. The result; skinny-fat and skinny-fat is as unhealthy as obesity.
The medical term for this is “MONW,” or metabolically obese normal weight. It means under lean but over fat, not enough muscle and too much fat.
Minimum Requirement for Health
An absolute minimum daily average amount of activity is vital to health. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans report that health benefits occur with at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 1 hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity. Additional benefits occur with more physical activity.
Benefits of Physical Activity
• Increased self-confidence
• Easier weight control
• More energy
• Less stress and anxiety
• Improved circulation and lung function
• Improved sleep
• Enhanced immunity
• Lowered risk of heart disease
• Lowered risk of certain cancers
• Stronger Bones
• Lowered risk of diabetes
• Lowered risk of high blood pressure
• Increased quality of life
Fitness
The term fitness is not restricted to athletes. To be fit, you don’t have to be able to finish a marathon, nor do you have to develop the muscles of a Mr. Olympia or Miss Olympia.
Everyone would benefit from being fit to perform everyday activities with ease. From house and yard work to shopping, to recreational activities to enjoying activities with our children and grandchildren. All of these types of activities require the need to lift, push, pull, climb, bend, etc.
Real fitness consists of four components: strength, flexibility, muscle endurance, and cardiovascular endurance, and each element is equally important for overall fitness and optimum health.
Strength
Strength is the ability of the muscles to work against resistance, such as pulling yourself out of a swimming pool, carrying groceries, or lifting children.
The purpose of resistance training is to develop well-toned muscles that let you accomplish daily activities at home, work, and during recreation, as well as to prevent injury.
As muscles, tendons, and ligaments strengthen, they also become more efficient at using energy. This helps with weight loss by increasing lean muscle mass and thus increasing your basal metabolic rate.
Resistance training is not restricted for the young either; our ability to respond to resistance training continues even as we age.
Flexibility
Flexibility (range of motion) depends on the condition and interrelationships of bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
Keeping muscles and joints pliable is critical for developing a fit body. A flexible body can move as it was designed to move and will bend rather than tear or break in response to any stress.
Flexibility tends to decrease with age but improves in response to stretching, and it can be maintained in most people by frequent stretching. Stretching activities enhance flexibility by increasing muscle and tendon elasticity and length.
Stretching should be done slowly. When you feel a slight strain in the muscle, hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds. Bouncy, rapid stretches can cause minute tears in the muscle and often do more damage than good.
Muscle Endurance
Muscle endurance, the third component of fitness, is the ability of a muscle to keep working for extended periods. Your muscle endurance influences your ability to sustain work, chores, and recreational activities.
Cardiovascular Endurance
Another critical aspect of endurance is the length of time that you can keep going with an elevated heart rate. This is called cardiovascular endurance.
The heart is a muscle, and like other muscles, it can respond to repeated demands by becoming larger and stronger.
Activities that promote cardiovascular endurance are the best for making short-term fitness gains and for long-term health, as well as for weight control.
The best activities to develop cardiovascular endurance are those that repetitively use large muscle groups, and that lasts for a continuous 20 to 60 minutes.
Examples include brisk walking, jogging, running, rowing, stair climbing, and aerobic exercises.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people participate in cardiovascular conditioning activities at least five times a week for a continuous 30 to 60 minutes.
Nutrients that Support Physical Activity
Supplying our bodies with dietary nutrients is an essential factor in how well we can perform physically. Whether you are a marathoner or a mall walker, bodybuilder, or fitness enthusiast, our bodies rely on the same six nutrients to support physical activity. The more physically active we are, the more nutrients our bodies need.
• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals
Water
Water helps cool the body and also provides a medium that transports nutrients to muscles and removes waste products from the muscles. Physical activity increases our need for water because it is lost in sweat and through evaporation from increased respiration.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of the three energy nutrients that provide our bodies with calories, which can be converted into energy. We also get calories from proteins and fats, making them the other two energy nutrients, but when we are physically active, carbs will be our best energy source. This is because carbohydrates are digested into glucose, which is a simple sugar that is easily converted to energy.
Fats
Body fat is sometimes referred to as stored energy that provides a long-term source of energy for physical activity. Our bodies call on fatty acids when we’re involved in an event that lasts for more than an hour. Fatty acids are the primary source of energy for endurance activities.
Proteins
Proteins also provide our bodies with calories, but our bodies would prefer to save proteins for other jobs. Therefore, proteins are not a significant source of energy during physical activity, but they are essential for the repair of muscles after physical activity.
Vitamins
B vitamins help convert food into energy, make proteins to build and repair muscles, and produce red blood cells that provide oxygen to our muscles.
Vitamins A, C, and E are “antioxidants,” which help reduce muscle damage and speed up recovery after physical activity.
Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, and they both work together to help maintain healthy bones. Vitamin D also helps our muscles work correctly.
Minerals
Iron carries oxygen throughout our body and to our muscles when physically active. Without enough iron, we fatigue quickly, and muscles may not work at their full potential.
Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones. When we don’t get enough calcium, our bones have a higher risk of becoming weak and are more likely to fracture or break.
Bottom Line
Optimal nutrition contributes to physical performance, and regular physical activity contributes to a person’s ability to use and store nutrients optimally. Together, the two are indispensable to a high quality of life. Fitness, like proper nutrition, is an essential component of weight management and overall health.
Exercise Posts
- Dumbbell Exercise For Beginners
- Body Weight Exercise Routine for Beginners
- Burn Fat and lose weight Efficiently
- Build and Strengthen Muscles as You Walk
- 6 Benefits from Morning Workouts
Thank you for visiting my site. I wish you well with your health and fitness endeavors.
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Best of luck with your Health and Fitness Goals.
Resources
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/be-active/physical-activity-guidelines-for-americans/index.html
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/obesity.htm
Time; http://time.com/14407/the-hidden-dangers-of-skinny-fat/
Unlock foods.com; http://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Physical-Activity/Sports-Nutrition-Facts-on-Vitamins-and-Minerals.aspx
Huffingtonpost.com; https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/skinny-fat_b_1799797.html
