subject: Lose That Muffin Top - Using Exercise [print this page] Lose That Muffin Top - Using Exercise Lose That Muffin Top - Using Exercise
If you're trying to lose a few pounds, mostly around your waist like most of us, then listen up. Dieting alone isn't going to cut it! Losing that spare tire, those muffin tops or love handles, it's all the same. No matter what you call it, it's still fat and is going to be tough to lose with dieting alone.
So what's the answer? Exercise is the answer, and yes what a dirty word for most people. And that is where most people lose the battle, because they don't realize that it can actually be fun! If you approach exercise as something you define as difficult, grueling, arduous, sweaty and not so fun, then do you think you will want to every do it? Of course not! That's why you have to either a) stop using the word altogether, or b) replace exercise with your favorite form of it, such as bicycling, bowling, walking, jogging, weightlifting, volleyball, golfing, swimming, or whatever your favorite happens to be. How about dancing? You don't usually hear anyone doing it for exercise, but that's a very good alternative to "sweating to the oldies" in a gym, right?
What if you have never in your life done any type of activity such as these? You really are missing out on a lot of fun! And quite a bit of exercise, too I might add. If you truly never had a chance as a kid to discover the joy of doing some activity that involves movement and exercise, then find something. Anyone can either walk, or ride a bike, as long as you don't have some physical disability. If you are in a wheelchair or have other physical disabilities, then you may need to seek specialized help in this regard to do activities that are best suited to your needs. But for most people, they are just in need of getting off their rear-ends and getting outside to do some exercise, so what are you waiting for?
Exercise not only burns calories, it also helps in your circulation which is beneficial as well. If you do plan on exercising, be sure to warm and then do some stretching exercises to further get your muscles ready to do some work. If it's been awhile since you did anything active, take it slow at first. You don't want to blast out of the gait and pull a hamstring or twist an ankle! Take things slowly, warm up and drink plenty of fluids before and during any really exhausting activity since you may get dehydrated otherwise. Check with your doctor if you are extremely overweight or have blood pressure or heart problems, having a heart attack will definitely set you back.
So what are the exercises and activities that burn the most calories? I thought you would never ask here is a list of common activities and the number of calories burned. Of course these numbers are based on a 200-pound person doing these activities for a full 60 minutes, so adjust the numbers accordingly for shorter time periods. Also, apparently skinny people burn fewer calories, how does that work? Anyway, here is the list:
Aerobics - 540
Bicycling - 588
Canoeing - 540
Dancing - 456
Frisbee - 288
Golfing - 348
Handball - 936
Jogging - 900
Tennis - 732
Walking - 527
Volleyball - 276
Yoga 480
So there you have it, now go and take up some activity to start burning more calories! Oh and don't forget to stick to your diet too, that's just as important. They both need to work together in order to burn off that spare tire, those love handles, and that muffin top you have sitting around your middle!
