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You don’t have to push yourself to benefit from physical activity. Thirty minutes of gentle activity (like walking) can be just as healthy as 15 minutes of intense activity (like fast dancing). You can choose between weightbearing and non-weightbearing activities as either will prove beneficial. Weightbearing activities, like walking, bowling, and golfing involve lifting or pushing your own body weight. Non-weightbearing activities, like swimming and cycling put less stress on your joints because you don’t have to lift or push your own weight. If your feet or joints hurt when you stand, non-weightbearing activities may be best for you.
Your activities do not have to be planned. You can even make small day-to-day changes to improve your health. For example,
Take 2- to 3-minute walking breaks at work a few times a day.
Put away
TV remote control—get up to change channel.
March in place during TV commercials.
Sit in a rocking chair and push off floor with your feet.
Walk dog.
Walk while you talk on a cordless phone.
Take stairs instead of elevator.
Doing chores like lawn mowing, leaf raking, gardening, and housework can also improve your health.
Dietary modifications to facilitate fat loss needs to be closely monitored to prevent any lapses towards achieving healthy weight. The option of adopting Low energy Diets needs to be discussed with a registered dietician. Sample of low Energy diet can be viewed as :
SAMPLE MENUS /1200 CALORIES This reducing diet is suitable for non pregnant women. The amount of weight you'll loose depends on difference between your previous calories intake and diet.
SAMPLE MENUS /1800 CALORIES This menu is suitable for many mature women. each days menu illustrates four principles of low fat eating.
select lower fat milk products
Select lean, lower fat meat: Removes skin from poultry and trim excess fat from meat.
Use low fat food preparation methods.
Reduce amounts of fats added at table.
For a detailed insight into exercise & diet guidelines for obese women log on to: http://www.womenfitness.net/obesity.htm.
Recommendations for extremely obese women :
Evidence indicates that women with a BMI of 40 or more have a substantially increased risk for death, and not uncommonly, are not only at risk for illness but are already ill. Additional medical conditions are particularly associated with those who are extremely obese like diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and ischemic heart disease.
The first step involves encouraging avoidance of further weight gain. Such a strategy can limit accumulation of additional medical risks associated with increased weight gain. Health-related behaviors, such as healthful eating and physical activity, can be highlighted as a means to improve health, independent of weight loss.
Although extremely obese patients may be reluctant to engage in physical activity because of discomfort or embarrassment, they should be encouraged to adopt slow, gradual increases in physical activity (e.g., walking with a friend for 10 minutes a day, parking car farther away in parking lot). They will need to take up a diet which prevent weight gain and promotes healthy weight loss. Specially designed low-calorie diets (1,200 calories per day) will provide adequate nutrients and prove effective for moderate weight loss. Equally important, is that they include enough food to keep you from feeling starved--and to keep your body's metabolic rate from falling. With very low-calorie--or "starvation"--diets, rate at which body burns calories while at rest (its resting metabolic rate) drops significantly, which means weight loss slows, too. Consult your doctor or dietitian for a diet that's right for you.
Try to create an attitude of persistence during times that you reach a weight plateau.
Remember: This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician.
>> Article contributed by Namita Nayyar C.E.O. Women Fitness on 29th September, 2002
