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ADAPT

TRAINING YOUR BODY

by MARCUS TRIER

“Technology has developed so fast that we haven’t
been able to adapt our bodies to the new situation�/span>

It is estimated that 75 per cent of Americans will be overweight by 2012, and that, with changing lifestyles, many Middle Eastern countries will show similar statistics too. Today, exercise and nutrition is no longer about just looking good �such advice is an investment in your future health.

Those overweight are thrice more at risk of ailments revolving around diabetes, the liver, blood pressure, breathing difficulties, sleep apnea, arthritis and gout. And twice as likely to suffer from cancer attacking the breast, gall bladder, uterus, cervix and prostate gland, as well as problems with hormone production and the back.

CONVINCED?

Here’s why

Mankind has existed for the last two million years, and for most of this time we have had to physically strain ourselves to have enough to eat. But with the Industrial Revolution, and especially after the Second World War, technology has developed so fast that we haven’t been able to adapt our bodies to the new situation. Although getting food is no longer a problem, it is still in our nature to have as much as possible, to be prepared for bad times. But since we never experience this scarcity we always end up with too much on our plates.

WHAT TO DO

Sport and nutrition

If you want to maximise your chance to keep a healthy body or to regain it you have to invest time in a bodily workout. This should be well organised so you set effective training goals and also avoid overstrain. It is best if you do this under the professional supervision of a qualified specialist like a physician, physiotherapist or a personal trainer with an additional certification in rehabilitation, health and advanced fitness training. The intensity of the workout varies with individual cases but you should invest about 45�0 minutes three times a week.

If your diet consists of muffins, croissants, potato chips and chocolate, working out cannot make up for them. There is no secret formula for dieting, no quick fix. The key is developing discipline and will power. No matter which diet you choose, it will only be successful if, at the end of the day, you reach a calorie deficiency.

If, after your workout, you drink a soft drink or a juice that you normally wouldn’t have drunk, you will minimise the success of burned calories.

Forty-five minutes of a medium-intensity cardio-vascular workout burns approximately 400�00 calories. This is equal to just one medium-sized croissant or one muffin or half a pizza or one and a half peanut chocolate bar. Rate it yourself: is it easier to resist the croissant or to do an additional 45-minute workout at the gym?

MUSCLES

Don’t lose them

Muscles are an elementary part of losing body fat. The muscle is the oven in which you burn your excess. When you reach a calorie deficiency your body tries to get rid of everything that costs too much energy, especially muscles. Since you don’t need much muscle for cardio-vascular exercise, where you work to improve your energy-oxygen system, you are really telling your body to lose its muscle mass because it handicaps you when trying to improve your cardiovascular output. Weight training tells the body to keep the muscles because it needs them.

Your formula for a long-term weight loss is, in order of priority: nutrition, weight training, cardio-vascular training. For good health, your priorities flow like this: cardio-vascular training, nutrition, weight training. If you are a beginner then both ways will improve your health and quality of life. It just depends on what you want to focus on.

Marcus Trier is personal trainer at the Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat and the Crowne Plaza Muscat. For more information, visit his website www.personal-fitness-trier.de.