The impact you create when you add physical exercise to your weight loss management plan is huge. You increase your total energy expenditure and the net impact is you lose weight. In the few cases where weight is gained it is usually because of the amount of calories or energy you intake. When your calories or energy you intake is greater than your caloric expenditure you will gain weight. Your physical activity affects your regulation of your energy balance. Your brain circuitry regulates your food intake. The way your physical activity affects your brain circuitry has important differences between those of you who operate in what we call the “regulated zone” versus those of you who operate in what we call the “unregulated zone.” Those of you who operate in the regulated zone are physically active and your bodies match your intake and your caloric expenditure. Those of you who operate in the unregulated zone are physically inactive or much less active. You are not as physically active and your bodies are not doing well at matching your food intake and caloric expenditure. In unregulated zones, the food becomes the driver in your world.
The first step is moving you from an unregulated zone to your new healthy and regulated zone. Your journey moving from your unregulated zone to your new regulated zone will be longer for some than for others. This is where your individualized program strategies come into play. You and your weight loss coach will map out your exercise opportunities to match your physical abilities or limitations. Rates of physical activity are very low in the majority of most adults. In adults a meger 20-25 percent meet the recommended levels of activity or exercise. Children 6-11 years old are the only age group that is meeting the recommended 60 minutes of moderate activity every day. Children who are moderately to vigorously active have much lower adiposity or fat. Children who are less active show higher rates of adiposity or fat and the effects are that they are at higher risk of having obesity later in life. This is why it is imperative that children have access to “structured play” at school and activity woven into their social lives. Increased activity reduces weight and significantly improves cardiovascular health and reduces risk factors including the prevention of diabetes.
By creating structured play and regulated zones we can create an exercise program that is suitable for all ages and implement a healthy lifestyle intervention to promote healthier lives.