Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be playing tennis, swimming and jogging often, yet they never lose weight?
Many overweight people began playing tennis, walking, running or swimming because they were told that these activities are aerobic and therefore, beneficial to weight loss.
So, is it really true that aerobic activities promote weight loss?
Technically it is true that aerobic programmes do help.
However, what constitutes an aerobic activity is the real issue of contention.
In recent years, any weight loss program must include an aerobic activity component. Hence, many sports advocates attempt to remake their sport to appear to be an aerobic activity to ride on this wave of popularity.
The tennis, jogging, walking, running, swimming, golf industries all want a share of this aerobic market.
However, the truth is that no sport can EVER be classified as an aerobic or non-aerobic activity.
Let’s review tennis and jogging as examples:
Tennis
This activity is far from being aerobic by virtue of the fact that the game mainly comprises of start-stop movement patterns. A player waits for the ball and rushes to return. He then watches and braces himself for the ball to be returned.
Adrenalin rushes when our body constantly rushes back and forth in this staccato fashion. This fast, responsive process is managed by our anaerobic (non-aerobic) sympathetic nervous system.
Tennis is definitely not an activity for aerobic development.
Jogging
In typical jog fashion, joggers focus on speed as a benchmark of improvement. This is perfectly fine if you are training up for a running competition. However, in a weight loss program, an increase in speed results in decreased aerobic performance.
Is there a speed threshold for aerobic activities?
No, there is no universal speed threshold for aerobic activities. Nevertheless, there are independent bio-markers that we can depend on to guide us into our most aerobic zone.
This is the core of this article’s message. There is no such thing as an aerobic activity. There are only aerobic zones in an activity.
The conventional aerobic guidelines for most sports and activities, are in specific numeric benchmarks, like 10km/hour or 50 laps in 1 hour, without due consideration to individual differences.
Individual body differences range from physical size to blood aerobic conversion ability. Hence, an arbitrary level would force participants to achieve the 10km/hour (or whatever other benchmark). Then, in this process, they will constantly be subjecting their bodies to anaerobic (non-aerobic) stressors.
Ultimately, when you embark on any jog, run or swim for weight loss, you have to ensure that you are doing it in the most aerobic zone of the activity.
Maintain your activity in the most aerobic zone by following these simple guidelines;
1) Always ensure that you are able to day dream and think while running/ swimming/ jogging. If you are not able, it means that you are working out too hard for your current aerobic level.
2) If you are on land, you should be able to hear distant sounds as well as at least sounds from 3 sources, e.g. a car driving pass, television from a nearby house, chatter of passer-bys. If you are not able, it means that you are working out too hard for your current aerobic level.
3) The optimum level can be achieved by trial and error. When you feel comfortable walking/ running/ swimming at a particular speed, you increase it until you are not able to think or hear. Then, you drop it back down by a little to achieve the thought and audio equilibrium.
4) This zone will expand as you build up your aerobic base. Continually, test for this optimum zone and you will find that your workouts will be more efficient and satisfying.
What happens now for tennis, golf, squash or any other games that does not seem to be very aerobically inclined?
Keep on playing that game for the fun of it! Next, add an activity that that has a wide aerobic zone in your weekly activity.
It would not add more than 10 minutes a day, but your fat burning rate will tremendously accelerate and, not to mention, your game play would improve too!
They want you to experience their service before spending a single dime! Receive FREE Health Coaching and find out more about their E-Manuals and Consultancy Services!
Reproduction of this article
You are free to reproduce this article on condition that it is reproduced in its entirety and with all the hyperlinks intact. The article is not allowed to be sent out as spam, unsolicited mail or in print format. Phenogy Health Advisors Pte. Ltd. reserves the right to ask any person to remove the article from their site or email in the event of abuse.
[http://phenogy.com]
The author, Winston Ng, is an avid peak performance coach and CEO of Phenogy Health Advisors Pte Ltd, based in Singapore. His Health Consultancy programmes are renowned worldwide for their efficiency, simplicity and independent unbiased advice. The Phenogy Health Concierge™ is unparalleled internationally in providing cutting edge Natural Health Alternatives to the busy individual. Email Winston Ng and his Coaches at enquiries@phenogy.com
