Obesity is on the rise in the United States. Over
one-third of the population is overweight, and approximately
15 % of the population can be considered obese. Moreover,
one-quarter of American children are overweight and one in
ten are severely overweight, a large increase over a relatively
short period.
One of the factors contributing to this
increased prevalence is inactivity. The American lifestyle
is conducive to inactivity. First, most jobs are sedentary.
Second, automobiles, public transportation, and laborsaving
devices allow sluggish lifestyles. Third, people are
watching television more than ever. One-quarter of children
watch 4 or more hours of TV a day. Increasing activity
in our daily schedules can play an important role in helping
overweight people both lose and manage their weight.
Exercise and Weight
Exercising more often increases the amount
of calories burned. In fact, a beginning exerciser may
expend energy at a rate 5 to 7 times above a resting level. Moreover,
active individuals may have a slightly higher metabolic rate
(they burn more calories throughout the day at rest) than their
inactive counterparts. But, losing weight involves not
only increasing activity levels, but also decreasing calories
in the diet, specifically calories from fat. Studies
have shown that combining both exercise and diet modifications
in a weight loss program is superior to attempting to lose
weight with either diet or exercise alone.
Why don’t people exercise?
Most people recognize that regular exercise
is important for general health and weight management. People
aren’t active for several reasons. First, they
have little time to exercise. Long work days, hectic
schedules, and children, to name a few, prevent people from
finding time to exercise. Along with this, a lot of people
lack enjoyment from exercise; why do it if it isn’t fun? Finally,
some people feel they are unable to exercise vigorously, or
are embarrassed at taking part in activities.
Ways to Increase Activity
It is recommended that all individuals
should attempt to accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity
physical activity most (or all) days of the week. Here
are a few ways to increase activity for sedentary people, especially
those who don’t enjoy traditional activity.
-
Split up the 30 minutes of exercise
recommended daily into smaller segments. This may
result in better adherence and increased weight loss.
-
"Lifestyle Activity" is
a concept that encourages people to look for opportunities
throughout the day to increase activity. Here are
a few suggestions:
-
Parking the car at the far end
of the lot and walking
-
Outdoor work around the house:
mowing the lawn, raking leaves, gardening, washing
the car
-
Indoor house work: cleaning,
vacuuming, dishwashing
-
Use stairs instead of elevators/escalators
-
Walk during lunch breaks
-
Play with toddlers or pets
These lifestyle activities have recently
been proven to be as effective as a structured exercise program
in improving physical activity, aerobic fitness, and blood
pressure in sedentary adults. They also may be a great
initial choice for obese individuals who do not have time for
traditional exercise or for those who do not enjoy exercise.
Once individuals have undergone lifestyle
activities for some time they may gain the confidence they
need to attempt a more vigorous exercise program. Exercise
prescription for obese individuals starting a more traditional
exercise program should involve cardiovascular fitness, strength
training, lifestyle activity, and flexibility exercises. Obese
individuals should start slowly, especially with cardiovascular
exercises. They should work with their physicians to
develop an appropriate target heart rate range. A good
starting regimen may include aerobic exercise for 20-40 minutes
3 to 5 days a week, weight training 2 to 3 days a week, and
flexibility training 2 to 3 days a week.
Finally, as mentioned previously, start
slowly; not only for health reasons, but also to not become
overwhelmed too quickly. Also, it is imperative for individuals
to contact their primary care physician so she/he can help
customize an activity program, whether it be a formal exercise
program, or additional ideas for "lifestyle activities."
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