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Bike to work, count steps and try to jog as often as you can. The goal: to lose weight. But the personal compulsion to constantly burn calories affects mental health. Apart from weight loss, sport has so many other positive effects.

Weight reduction in sports: That’s why it shouldn’t be the goal

Anyone who constantly puts themselves under pressure when losing weight or associates weight reduction with negative thought patterns such as “I’ll never make it” or “It’s all taking too long” can trigger certain stress reactions that are particularly counterproductive for weight loss success. This is partly due to the stress hormone cortisol, which inhibits fat loss and muscle growth, according to personal trainer Sandra Mennel

Another reason not to just focus on losing weight while exercising is weight gain from muscle building. Anyone who does a lot of sport inevitably builds muscle. Without a doubt, a defined body looks better and slimmer. But many people quickly panic and lose motivation when they see the scale saying anything other than the weight loss they want. However, it is often forgotten that muscle is heavier than fat tissue, which is why the scale shows more than hoped for.

The increase due to water retention corresponds to another problem for beginners. If you haven’t exercised properly for years, your muscles will become sore very quickly. This can even affect weight, since the body stores more water when muscles are sore. It is precisely this water retention that leads to the fact that one or two kilograms more can be welcomed on the scales.

Good arguments for sport that have nothing to do with losing weight

Much more than losing weight, the positive aspects should come to the fore in sport. In most cases, we just feel mentally better after a sports session. This is because physical activity releases endorphins, which in turn have a relaxing effect on both the body and mind. That’s why you can not only switch off with a sports unit, but also reduce stress. But only if you don’t stress about losing weight.

Furthermore, studies such as the joint study by Oregon State University and Bellarmine University have shown that regular exercise significantly improves the quality of sleep. During the study period, 3081 adults between the ages of 18 and 85 were interviewed. Those who exercised at least two and a half hours a week were able to increase the number of light and deep sleep phases.

Finally, regular exercise leads to a generally improved state of health. In various studies, scientists have found that regular exercise helps to minimize the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some types of cancer. In addition, the professor of sports science, Dr. Henning Budde, in a “mega-analysis”, that sport has positive effects on depression and even works as well as drug therapies.

Conclusion: With serenity you can lose weight better

If you really want to lose weight, you should approach the topic calmly and not toil in the gym. Sports beginners in particular should not be unsettled by the imbalance on the scales. Those who are prone to chronic stress can specifically include relaxation phases in their sports units. Nevertheless, you should always expect small setbacks, because failures are completely normal when losing weight and are part of it.

One in four adults does not exercise enough. More than five million deaths could be avoided if the world’s population would exercise more. It doesn’t matter whether it’s jogging, weight training or cycling: Regular exercise not only promotes physical and mental health, but also prevents numerous diseases.

Sport: Positive effects on the body

When you exercise, your blood pressure and insulin levels drop for a few hours after exercise. After a few months, your heart gets used to the new strain during sport and thus lowers blood pressure and heart rate in the long term, even outside of training. This relieves the heart and reduces the risk of many diseases. For example, many people suffer from high blood pressure without even knowing it. This is where exercise and the right diet can help.

Strength training also strengthens the muscles and bones in particular, which in turn prevents fractures, tension or muscle tears. There is also a big plus in the positive effect on our immune system. Furthermore, sport reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer and has a positive effect on the brain, which stabilizes thinking skills.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical activity also promotes metabolic health, musculoskeletal health and the prevention of depression. Sport has an impact not only on physical but also on mental health. Physical activity improves mental well-being, increases quality of life as well as mobility and independence, especially in older people, reduces stress reactions, fears, depression and other forms of dementia.

WHO: This is what happens when you don’t exercise

According to the WHO, physical inactivity has negative consequences. Any movement is better than not moving at all. At six percent, lack of exercise is the fourth largest risk factor for premature mortality, after high blood pressure at thirteen percent, smoking at nine percent and high blood sugar also at six percent. Overweight (obesity) is another major risk factor, accounting for five percent of deaths.

For Europe, the WHO estimates the consequences of lack of exercise at one million deaths every year, which corresponds to ten percent of all deaths. There are also drastic economic costs associated with the negative effects of physical and mental inactivity.

WHO recommendations for physical activity

The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for the adult population aged eighteen and over. That’s two and a half hours a week and should definitely be possible. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a workout in the gym, a round of jogging in the forest or a relaxed yoga session with friends, all movement promotes health. Even a long brisk walk improves endurance and keeps you fit.

In addition, muscle-strengthening activities should be incorporated that are not limited to just one area of ​​the body. A mixture of endurance and muscle training is recommended here, in units with a minimum duration of ten minutes each. At best, you spread your sports units over at least twice a week.

From the age of 65, the organization increasingly recommends physical activity that focuses on balance, coordination and muscle strengthening at least three times a week. Children should move for at least an hour a day. Children and teenagers should work up a sweat three days a week to strengthen muscles and bones. Being physically active is crucial to your health and well-being.

Many tips for losing weight without exercise at a glance. You often hear that it is not possible to lose weight without exercising. According to the German Society for Sports Medicine, however, nutrition plays an important role, because just through exercise you would have to walk 56 km a week to lose half a kilo. Sport is ultimately not necessary to lose weight, although a bit of physical activity naturally does no harm.

1) Change lifestyle

Even if some diet pills have promised real miracles, you shouldn’t necessarily believe them. Many diets do indeed bring about a short-term reduction in weight, but some of the diet products are even harmful to health. In addition, there is no point in following the same diet as before the diet, because then the weight will increase accordingly.

2) Starvation is useless

If you eat less and walk around hungry all day, you will lose weight quickly at the beginning because the body breaks down muscle mass, because it costs energy to maintain it, and the constant hunger hits the psyche and you quickly feel uncomfortable. The metabolism switches to the so-called starvation mode. Another problem arises when you go back to eating normally afterward because then you gain weight very quickly because your body takes whatever it can get.

3) Sugar must be banned

If you want to lose weight, you can still eat delicious food, but you should avoid too much sugar. However, that sounds easier than it is because sugar acts like a drug and causes the brain to release happy hormones. Finished products in particular sometimes turn out to be real sugar bombs. Anyone who starts giving up sugar will initially suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

4) Drink lots of water

An adult should drink at least two liters of water a day so that the body can keep its fluid balance in order. In addition, water increases the body’s energy turnover and thus burns more calories. Tea without sugar can serve as an alternative to water.

5) Regular meals are important

Ideally, exactly three meals a day should be eaten and the main meal should be eaten before 3 p.m. According to current studies, success improves by 30 percent. In addition, no high-calorie foods should be eaten about three to four hours before bedtime. Fruit and vegetables can be eaten in any quantity between meals.

6) Eating should be done consciously

When eating, think about food. What sounds simple is one of the main causes of obesity. In order to be able to concentrate on the meal, the television should not be on while eating, and cell phones or newspapers are also out of place here. You should only eat when you are hungry and not out of boredom. Furthermore, you should enjoy every bite and eat slowly, because the feeling of fullness only sets in after about 20 minutes. It doesn’t matter how much you eat in those 20 minutes.

7) Lots of sleep

According to some studies, lack of sleep harms fat burning and metabolism. In addition, stress is reduced during sleep and stress promotes obesity. Humans should therefore sleep between seven and nine hours a day. Stress should be prevented by not constantly putting yourself under pressure or allowing yourself to be put under pressure, and you should find a way to relax to get rid of the stress quickly. This can be, for example, sports, television, or cooking.

8) More exercise in everyday life

If you move more in everyday life, you do the sport more or less on the side. It is, therefore, better to take the stairs than the elevator and sometimes walk instead of taking the car. Of course, you can also ride a bike, go dancing or have sex with your partner to accept.