NordicTrack Walkfit 5000 Owners Guide - Page 21

Essentials of Weight Management Being overweight is risky business. Obesity increases your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. It may also raise your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These factors add up to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. What's the Ideal Weight for You? Ideal body weight varies from person to person. depending On genetics, height and body structure. Height aud weight tables that attempt to predict ideal body weight based solely oil body' height can be misleading. Rather than focusing on weight alone, you should concentrate on your body composition: the percentage of your weight that is coming from fat. Ideally, a man's body tat should he 15 to 20 percent of his total weight. A woman's body Pat should be between 20 and 25 percent of her total body weight. Diets Alone Don't Work. There are Ito miracle diets that can help you lose weight. Diet plans low in calories may achieve some weight loss, but they make it hard to gel all the nutrients that you need. And crash diets fail because they don't change your eating habits permanently. Proper weight loss and management occurs with a combination of a sensible diet and aerobic exercise. That sounds simple enough, but if you have ever tried to lose weight you know that it takes motivation and determination! Exercise Helps You Keep it Off. Proper weight loss occurs at a rate of one to two pounds per week. Long-term success depends on proper eating habits complemented by a regular exercise routine. Exercise helps you burn calories both during and after exercisc„Aerobic exercise is oily of the best types of exercises you can perforin. The most effective known forms of aerobic exercise are cross-country skiing, running (jogging). rowing. biking and brisk walking. Spot Reduction is a Myth. Exercising one part of your body won't take off the fat in that specific area. In fact. research shows that the areas in which you gain and lose fat are genetically determined. Only a regular program of exercise and a nutritious diet can assure you of a healthy. safe and natural weight loss. The fastest way to a trim tummy or firm thighs is a regular program of total-body aerobic conditioning. Plus. you'll be pleasantly surprised when the weight conies off in other places! Exercise for Weight Loss. Consistent exercise at the proper intensity. combined with a sensible diet, will create a calorie deficit and result in weight loss. An ideal program for weight loss is to exercise at au intensity of 70 to S5 percent of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHEki for 30 to 60 minutes four to five times a week. (Beginning exercisers may need to start al 6O to 70 percent of their MI IR and progress to the higher intensity) Participatilig in 0 strength conditioning program on an every-other-day basis can also supplement this type of trainii ig by increasing your muscle mass. which is your body's primary cillorie Make Exercise a Way of Life. The "yo-yo" cycle of weight loss is not only stressful mentally. it also takes its toll on the heart. In the long run. the only way to slay healthy is to make exercise a way of life, Instead of thinking of exercise as a chore. think of it as a way to jump start :%701.1r morning or HS your lime 10 unwind. Ironically. when people feel they arc too busy or too stressed Out to exercise, that's exactly when they need it the most. Exercise provides natural stress relief in the form of endorphins, your body's own painkillers. Your body releases endorphins when you exercise. So. the next time you feel too busy or stressed out to exercise. remember that exercise is "nature's best tranquilizer."