Exercise is an integral pat of the weight management process. The human body is actually designed to need regular exercise and lack of exercise is a major catalyst in people gaining weight. When we don't exercise we become badly tuned . " I haven't got the time" is one of the commonest reasons for not exercising, along with the misplaced notion that it's all too energetic and " I won't keep up" or " I'm too fat".

Here are 6 reasons you should make time to exercise.

1. Increasing physical activity will make a positive difference to your weight loss.

2. Physical activity burns off calories and increases your Base Metabolic Rate (dieting alone decreases this).

3. Regular exercise and physical activity can decrease the appetite.

4. If you begin to combine physical activity with healthy eating, you will probably begin to see the benefits before scales tell you. It can tone and shape your body to make you feel and look slimmer.

5. As well as improving weight loss, physical activity involving resistance (using weight; swimming; waking up hill; using your own body weight) can change the ratio of fat to lean tissue - increasing the lean, decreasing the fat.

There are also many benefits of exercising regularly :

1. You can work better, feel better and have more energy.

2. It can help you sleep better.

3. It's a good way of reducing stress.

4. It can help keep your joints and muscles in good working order.

5. It can strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

6. It can help improve circulation.

7. It can ensure that your blood pressure remains normal, or lower it if it is too high.

8. It can strengthen your heart and lungs.

9. It can improve your quality of life.

What sort of exercises should you do?

The best form of exercise to promote weight loss is any exercise or activity you enjoy doing - that is any exercise that raises the heart rate and makes you use oxygen. But thus exercise does not have to be too energetic.

Examples of these are:

* Steady walking - 45 minutes burns approx. 300 calories

* Slow cycling - 20/30 minutes burns approx. 250/400 calories

* Swimming (crawl) - 20 mins non stop burns approx. 250 calories.

Other activities that also burns fat, are as follows:

* Aerobics classes - 1 hour burns approx. 300 calories

* Jogging - 20 minutes burns approx. 250/400 calories

* Exercise videos - 45 minutes burns approx. 300 calories

But remember, fat does not burns fast. You need to burn approx. 3500 calories to dislodge 1lb of fat. But do not get disheartened; the fitter you get, the better the body gets dislodging fat stores.

Like eating changes, activity and exercise changes in our lifestyle need to be done slowly but progressively.

By Jabu Elite Pt