Fitness Tips: Exercise and fat metabolism

by David Garred,
Club Manager Dusit Resort Sports Club.

Hi readers. You’ve built your support system and you are doing your best to make the most of each day. Now its time to look at exercising efficiently. Your time is precious, you need to know that the time you are now spending trying to get healthier is being well utilised.
What type of exercise is best for burning fat?
There are two kinds of activities which help your body access its fat stores. The first is called “Aerobic” exercise, or exercise that uses oxygen. During exercise, muscles require fuels, such as carbohydrates & fats to produce energy. The fuel burning process is most efficient when enough oxygen is available to the working muscles to metabolise both fats and carbohydrates. Gram for gram, fat produces almost twice the amount of energy as carbohydrate.
Aerobic activities use the large muscles of the lower body, are continuos & can be performed for relatively long periods of time without fatigue. Example: walking, bicycling, swimming aerobics & step classes.
In addition to burning fat during exercise, aerobic activities also raise your metabolic rate - the number of calories you burn at rest - for some time after each workout.
Aerobic exercise provides other benefits as well. It strengthens the entire cardiovascular system by improving uptake (respiratory system) & oxygen transport (circulatory system) while conditioning the heart.
The second types of activities that improve your ability to burn fat are muscle strengthening exercises such as weight lifting or resistance training. These exercises help build muscle mass which, in turn, helps raise metabolic rate. A higher metabolic rate is associated with greater caloric burn both at rest & during exercise. Strengthening exercises can be performed with or without external resistance such as hand weights or resistance training machines.
Contrary to popular belief, we cannot burn fat in specific places. Aerobic exercise conditions the entire body & fat is affected accordingly. Typically, fat is lost in the opposite manner that it was put on, first from the face and last from the hips and thighs. Spot toning will strengthen specific muscles, but cannot burn fat exclusively from the hips, thighs or abdomen. A combination of aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises together with a low fat eating plan will help you access the fat at those locations.
Research has shown that exercising aerobically at low to moderate intensity offers the best fat burning results. So now we need to check so as to be sure that we are exercising at the right intensity.
One way is to calculate your training heart rate range: i.e. 220 minus your age, multiplied by .75 & .55 gives you the figure in heart beats per minute. That is 75% & 55% of your maximum heart rate. While you are exercising, check your pulse from time to time by counting the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Ensure that this figure falls in within your desired range.
Another option that is far more social is the talk test. While you are exercising, if you can hold a conversation with someone whilst sweating then you are exercising at the correct intensity. Isn’t that good news?
Three elements will have a profound effect on your exercise results - Frequency, intensity, time & type.
Frequency: 3 to 5 times per week.
Intensity: We have just covered that.
Time: 30 minutes per session.
Type: Make sure it follows the prescription above and it needs to be fun.
Now you know enough of the basics to get started, so let’s go out and get it done. Seize the day.

Fitness Tips