Exercise-Lose your FAT, Stay FIT

Exercise is the best-kept secret in preventive medicine. Regular exercise provides essential protection against many of the diseases including; heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and fractures, depression, colon and breast cancers, dementia (memory loss). (Harvard Health). For adequate health, we should make habit of at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise or 15 minutes of intense exercise a day.

Aerobic exercise:

The term aerobic means “with oxygen”. It is also known as “cardio-exercise”, which stimulates the heart rate and breathing rate to increase. It is moderate-intensity physical activity over extended periods of time (usually 30-60 minutes), which includes activities like brisk walking, swimming, running, and cycling.

Anaerobic Exercise:

The term Anaerobic means “without oxygen”. It is also known as “cardio-metabolic exercise”, performed at an intensity that causes one, to get out of breath quickly over a short period of time. It encompass a range of activities, including weight lifting, sprinting and vigorous activities in gym.

The WHO guidelines for physical activity include;

• All adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week.
• For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-intensity physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or equivalent.
• For developing and maintaining musculoskeletal health, muscle-strengthening activities involving major muscle groups should be done on 2 or more days a week
• In addition, older adults with poor mobility should do physical activity to enhance balance and prevent falls on 3 or more days per week.

During aerobic exercise, more oxygen is delivered to the muscles, resulting in higher percentage of fat burned, than during anaerobic exercise which burns more carbohydrates.

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