May 2018 www.womanthismonth.com LIFESTYLE | wellbeing 56 But, get this before you jump on to the cardio bandwagon, too much can be detrimental, actually preventing you from losing weight, making it a less sustainable plan for the long run, warns Lelani. “To lose weight, people simply ramp up their cardiovascular exercise. Unfortunately, the positive fat-burning effects of cardio are short-lived. Once you stop exercising, your body’s metabolism quickly returns to its normal state. You will be forced to do more and more in order to see ongoing weight-loss results. “Overtraining can lead to decreased muscle mass. This in turn dips your resting metabolic rate [the calories you burn when you’re NOT exercising] even further. Your body will begin to shed fat even more slowly, unless you do even more cardio, putting you on a vicious cycle!” She adds that other life stressors (work or relationships) make it difficult for the body to cope with a demanding cardio routine, leaving you more tired, worn out and susceptible to illness and injury. Cardiovascular activity aka aerobic training, includes any activity that keeps the heart rate elevated for long periods of time. Examples include walking, swimming, running, cycling, rowing or jumping rope. Strength training is the number one way to build more muscle and lose actual fat. Incorporate it along with cardio to see the best results. WINNING THE WEIGHT WAR (PART I) In the first of a two-part feature looking at what’s hampering your weight loss, Behnaz Sanjana gets the low-down on exercise. Exercise may be a dirty word in your vocabulary, but it can quickly cut your weight by enabling the body to burn more calories rather than just going hungry. Another upside is increased muscle mass (for that svelte figure), agility and self-confidence. If your weight-loss journey is a slow, frustrating ride, Lelani Vrey, health club manager at Dessange Bahrain, tells you how to win the inch war. One Size Doesn’t Fit All “There is no best way to exercise; when it comes to weight loss, the important thing is to be realistic,” says Lelani. “There are many different ways to exercise. Whichever method you choose, someone will tell you it is the best. But everybody is different and will respond to a set exercise differently.” So, firstly, identify your workout style and interest, and figure out if it will work for you. And, no, there's no solid scientific evidence to suggest that you can burn fat on specific areas of your body. So, it helps to have a more holistic view of your endeavour. Too Much of a Good Thing Yes, there is such a thing as too much exercise (!!!). Lelani explains that any exercise is a form of stress to which the body responds by developing better endurance and aerobic capacity.
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