1. How much should I exercise to see health benefits?
You should do at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity (30 min 5 days per week) as well as two days of strength training activity. If 30 minutes is too much, you can do this in 10 minute intervals, three time a day, as well.
2. What type of exercise can I do around the home or neighborhood?
The most accessible and least expensive form of exercise is walking. At home you can walk on the spot, climb stairs, do crunches, push ups and planks. Watch and participate with activity DVD’s and you can do strength exercises with a Theraband. Many people also have a treadmill, elliptical trainer or stationary bike.
3. I hate exercise. How should I start or how can I motivate myself to start?
Try a lot of different activities, try a class or a few classes, many recreation centres offer drop in classes so that you can try them out. Walk or swim with a friend, even an increase of daily chores like housework, gardening or yard work can get you motivated.
4. If I exercise every day, can I eat whatever I want?
No. It takes a lot of energy to burn calories, a lot more than most people think. There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. Think about how long it would take to burn those 3500 calories for a one pound weight deficit.
5. Is it better to work-out every day for 1/2 hour or 3 times a week for an hour?
Three times a week for an hour would be 180 minutes per week so this would provide more health benefits. It also depends on what activity you are doing and how hard you are working for that hour as compared to 30 minutes.
6. How many steps do I need to walk per day to maintain my weight?
There are no set number of steps for weight maintenance or weight loss as everyone is individual and there are so many factors that apply, for example, walking pace, person’s weight, metabolic rate, how hard a person is working and getting their heart rate up, the amount of effort it is taking to walk etc.
It is best to log your daily steps for at least a month and figure out your average daily steps (baseline) then look at increasing this number by 5-10 % every 1-2 weeks. After doing this for 4-6 months think about increasing the pace. Also, weight maintenance and weight loss are affected by food and what changes are being made with healthy eating.
Corinne Cutler is an Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network and has been working with the Chronic Disease Management program at the PCN for nearly 3 years.
Corinne specializes in activity counselling, diabetes education, motivational interviewing and leading group activity sessions.
Corinne has a Bachelor of Physical Education from the University of Alberta and has worked in the field of rehabilitation for 9 years. She is a Certified Exercise Physiologist (CSEP) and is a member of the Alberta Kinesiology Association (AKA).
Corinne is passionate about fitness and activity. She is a Certified Pilates Instructor (Peak Pilates), teaches Pilates classes in Edmonton and is currently training towards her black belt with Edmonton Mixed Martial Arts.
References:
Alberta Centre for Active Living
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
Participaction
Public Health Agency of Canada
References:
Alberta Centre for Active Living
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
Participaction
Public Health Agency of Canada
