Regular exercise is important for overall health. It’s good for blood pressure control, blood sugar control, mental health, and weight control or weight loss.
Regarding the three pillars of weight loss, we have already covered “healthy eating”, so this week we will cover exercise.
There are so many fitness fads and routines on the internet promising rapid weight loss that it can be difficult to choose which one to try. I always recommend in these cases that you keep it simple.
The basics – when you lose weight, the weight you want to lose is fat, not muscle.
And the fat in particular that you should aim to get rid of is visceral fat.
Visceral fat is the fat around the organs in your belly. You cannot see this fat or even pinch it. The fat underneath your skin that you can see and pinch is called subcutaneous fat, and it is not as dangerous as visceral fat.
There is no specific exercise to get rid of fat in one particular part of the body. To lose the bad fat or visceral fat requires a general approach – eating well, exercising regularly, and for some people, medication or surgery may be required.
How often? At least 5 days a week
How much? 30 mins a day
What type of exercise? Anything that gets your heart rate up and causes you to sweat. You decide! But whatever you choose to do, start with:
1. Something that you actually like to do!
There is no point choosing to run in the mornings (because that’s what everyone else is doing), and you know already you don’t like to run. You are setting yourself up for disappointment.
Maybe you like to dance – go to dance classes or do a dance workout on YouTube instead. You are more likely to stick to a routine you actually look forward to. If you dread it, at some point you’ll avoid it!
2. Something that you actually can do!
Hear me out, I’m all for dreaming big, but pacing yourself is really important too. Be kind to your body. It can be dangerous jumping up off your couch and deciding to do 5K runs 5 mornings a week out of the blue, especially if you haven’t exercised in years. It increases your risk of injury, which can then set you back on your exercise goals.
Start with something manageable. If you can’t exercise 30 minutes a day, start with 5 minutes and increase by 5 minutes each week or every two weeks until you reach your 30-minute-a-day goal.
Be consistent, no matter how small the effort may seem. 5 minutes of exercise every day is better than one 5K run for the month.
3. Walking is your friend
If you are able to walk, walking is your friend. Walking is easy on the joints and is a good exercise to start with if you haven’t exercised in a long time. Walking outside and breathing in fresh air has the added benefit of reducing stress and improving your mood.
Walking for 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week for 3 to 4 weeks can significantly reduce visceral fat!
So if you can think of nothing else to start with, I humbly suggest that you start with walking.
Remember, behaviour change takes time – Be gentle with yourself and focus on keeping things simple and doing things gradually. In Jamaica, we say, “every mickle mek a muckle!” In other words, every small effort adds up. By keeping things simple and doable, you will also be more likely to keep it going and keep the weight off long-term.
I recommend speaking with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
I hope you find this helpful! Next week, we will cover weight loss medications and surgery. Until then, have a safe and healthy week!
Dr Rachel Thwaites-Williams,
Family Physician and Public Health Specialist
