The Exercise Dilemma

Answers to three popular exercise questions

We all have unanswered questions and are a bit confused when it comes to exercise and the ideal type of exercise. I cannot count how many times I’ve had frustrated clients in my office who just didn’t know who to believe anymore. One person or expert says one thing and another says something completely different. Sometimes I even wonder myself if the only thing “experts” have in common is their belief that they are right and others are wrong. So when all else fails, we resort to science for direction and experience for discretion. Below I attempt to answer some exercise-related questions and put an end to a few contributors to the “exercise dilemma.”

Is some exercise better than not exercising at all?
Okay, you can’t make it to the gym this morning for your regular 45-minute workout, but your family is still asleep and you have 20 minutes to yourself. You wonder: “should I bother to exercise or is it just a waste since I can’t complete my whole program?” Over the years we have been conditioned to think that exercise only counts if you have the necessary time it takes to drive to the gym, perform your routine, shower and drive home. Recent research has shown that the benefits of exercise are not only derived when exercise is performed non-stop for a certain amount of time, but also when exercise is performed in small increments, say 10-minute blocks throughout the day.

You can even go to the gym perform a quick 15- to 20-minute circuit and be on your way home. Here is the real good news; your body cannot tell the difference between planned structured exercise at the gym and spontaneous walks or calisthenics you decide to perform at any given moment. So if you don’t have the time to complete your structured exercise routine, don’t worry; go for a short walk, run up a few flights of stairs, perform some push-ups, leg squats and abdominal crunches and experience all the benefits of moving your body, accrued throughout your hectic day. You can even try one of the 20-minute workouts that are available in the Truestar exercise section. Our bodies are built to move, so start today and exercise your way to good health.

Once and for all, is cardiovascular exercise the best for fat loss?
In order to lose one pound of fat you must expend 3500 calories. In other words to lose one pound of fat per week you have to create a caloric deficit of at least 500 calories per day for seven days. This caloric deficit can occur with a combination of better eating habits and daily exercise or energy expenditure, such as taking the stairs or walking to work. People engage in cardiovascular exercise for a number of health benefits including weight loss. A single session of 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity will burn substantially more calories than 30 minutes of resistance training. For this reason it is falsely believed that cardiovascular exercise is best for weight loss. In reality, fat loss, not weight loss is best achieved with a proper combination of cardiovascular and resistance training. When you burn calories during a cardiovascular session, your metabolism increases for a very short period of time. In essence, you get one shot at burning calories. Resistance training on the other hand, burns fewer calories per session, but as a direct consequence of building muscle you burn more calories throughout the day and weeks—even when you sleep.

This is why circuit training is an ideal form of exercise combining both resistance and cardiovascular exercise in one quick session. It is estimated that one pound of muscle burns approximately 50 extra calories per day. If you gain 10LBS of muscle over the course of a year, you burn an extra 500 calories per day and an extra 3500 calories per week just by engaging in regular short bursts of resistance training. The fastest and most efficient method of fat loss I use with my clients is circuit training. Start a resistance and cardiovascular training program today.

Is running the best form of cardiovascular exercise?
I must agree that running is a great form of cardiovascular exercise because it involves the entire body and is a great way to elevate your heart rate. Everyone wants to experience the invigorating experience of the runners high. However, not all bodies are built for running and excessive running often leads to injury, cessation of exercise and eventual weight gain. I want to take this opportunity and dispel any misunderstandings that running is a superior form of cardiovascular exercise. Yes, running is very beneficial to improving your health and aerobic capacity, but, so are cycling, stair climbing, circuit training and the elliptical trainer. A recent study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness investigated the physiological adaptations in 22 moderately trained females following a 12-week aerobic training program using a treadmill, elliptical machine and stair-climber. Regardless of the aerobic machine used, physiological adaptations were similar. You don’t have to run if you don’t like how it makes you feel. Other options are available and provide you with similar health and aesthetic benefits as running or jogging. However, if you enjoy running, I recommend you alternate running with other activities such as cycling, swimming and circuit training to decrease the impact and overuse of your joints. The last thing you want is to stop engaging in an activity that makes you happy, improves your concentration and allows you to get away and forget about issues you are facing in your day. We need exercise, so plan your program effectively.

Concluding remarks
One day one of my professors gave me advice that I carry with me at all my speaking engagements and writing assignments. With all the confusion surrounding the many elements and variables of health such as what to eat, what supplements to take and how to exercise, I asked him his opinion. His answer was very direct. “Michael,” he said, “one thing we know for sure about exercise is that it is good for you and there are fewer side effects than taking drugs.” Well, that’s it folks. It is fine to have questions and I urge you to read and explore the correct answers on your own and referring to seasoned experts. One thing we know for sure is that exercise is good for you. Put your exercise dilemma to bed and perform a mixture of cardiovascular and resistance training exercises three to six days per week.