Diet or Exercise to lose weight?  

If you wish to lose weight fast should you diet or should you exercise? The simple answer to this is you should do both. We all need to have a healthy diet and be doing regular exercise. Using the links on the left you will find a page on healthy eating so the question remains: What type of exercise should we do? 

The three main groups of exercise are: 

• Aerobic   
• Flexibility   
• Strength Training   

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Aerobic: 

Aerobic exercises are generally repetitive movements such as jogging, cycling, swimming etc. These exercises are designed to keep our cardiovascular system in good condition and improve bloodflow throughout the body. Aerobic exercises help us to control and improve our breathing which in turn helps our lungs to function more efficiently and thus helps to keep blood flowing more freely. 

If you want a healthy heart you must be reasonably active and what better way to do this than to engage in regular aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercises are also great for weight loss and maintaining your ideal weight. 

Flexibility: 

As we grow older or go through periods of inactivity our bodies begin to tighten up and become less flexible. We all know people with back or neck pain. Many of these people have allowed themselves to become less flexible and then suffer pain when they try to do some activity. 

Flexibility training does not have to be hugely strenuous. Many exercises that help us to improve flexibility are just simple stretching exercises which can be done standing or even sitting in the one place. Most of us need some advice so that we can do the correct exercises and to do them properly. Much of this advice can be obtained from your local library, internet, training videos, your GP, your gym instructor etc. Flexibility training only takes a few minutes at a time and results are noticeable very quickly.  

Strength training: 

Strength training is a more specialised type of training and sometimes requires the use of weights etc. Before undertaking a regime of strength training you should seek advice. Always begin small and build up gradually. Remember pain is the body’s mechanism to tell you that something is wrong. DO NOT IGNORE IT! 

Before embarking on any new type of exercise be sure that you 

·           Understand what it is all about.  

·           Consult your doctor for a checkup to make sure that you are up to the task.  

·           Set small goals for yourself and do not be tempted to forge ahead too quickly 

·           Keep a record so that you can see how you are improving 

o     If you are exercising to lose weight keep a record of your starting weight and weigh yourself at least each week and record this. 

o     Keep a column on your record for weight loss (lbs/kilos) 

o     If you are trying to lose weight fast then your record will help keep track so you can avoid overdoing it 

·           Have fun