1. I recently started exercising and so I indulge in my favourite foods. Why is it that I have gained weight?
It is a myth that if you exercise, you can indulge and eat whatever pleases you. Even with exercise, you must follow a low-fat diet and combine it with regular exercise, to knock off weight and keep it off.
Learn to re-educate your appetite so that you are in control of it. The easiest way to know if you are really hungry is to wait a while before you eat. Give yourself 20 minutes, if you are still hungry, it means your body needs the food. If not, it's a craving and you can control the urge to eat.
2. Is it a fact that if you sweat more that means you have worked out effectively?
No at all. Genetically, some people sweat more and some less. Exercise forms such as yoga, weight training and walking may not induce extreme sweating, but that doesn't mean you have not worked out. Simply put, sweating is a mechanism the body uses to cool itself down and regulate temperature. It is not the only indicator of a satisfactory work-out.
3. Will high impact exercises give me better fitness results than low impact exercises?
Not really. High-impact simply means that both feet regularly lose contact with the floor throughout the workout session. Examples are running, jumping, power step workouts and cardio kickboxing. Low-impact exercises, on the other hand, can be intense too, and can burn many calories, but they generally involve a smaller risk of injury than high-impact exercises. This is because one foot always remains in contact with the floor while exercising. This kind of exercise training is recommended if you are overweight or have other health concerns. Examples are walking, cycling and swimming.
4. I usually come home in the evening from work, eat a substantial snack and then head for the gym. But I feel sluggish when I exercise. Why?
If you've eaten a large snack or meal, you should wait at least 2 hours before you exercise. The reason is, it takes your body time to digest a large meal. Intense exercise slows your digestion as it diverts energy and blood supply to your exercising muscles, resulting in problems like sluggishness, cramping, or an upset stomach.
Tip: The waiting time before exercise depends on what you eat and how much. If you eat a bigger meal, you need to wait longer. If you eat a quick light or nutritious snack, such as a banana, apple or orange to you can head for the gym within just 30 minutes after eating.
5. I have started to exercise, my body has shaped up and I have lost inches from my waist and thighs. But my weighing scale is stuck where it was. Can you explain why?
Congratulations! There is much to cheer as it's not so much the kilos as the inches that matter. You see, regular exercise makes you lose fat and gain muscle. Also keep in mind that muscle is heavier than fat. So your weighing scale may show no change, however, the disappearing inches show your muscles are strong and fit — the perfect fitness formula for a toned, trim body.
6. I have problem areas to target. Is it possible to exercise and spot reduce?
Your body puts on and loses weight in a genetically pre-determined manner so to that extent you have no control over your basic shape. Exercises can target problem areas by making those specific muscles stronger and more toned. But to get rid of any excess flab, you will have to cut back on calories and perform aerobic exercises to burn off calories.
7. Will muscle turn into fat when I stop weight training?
Never. Muscle and fat have two separate properties. Muscle cannot turn into fat and fat cannot be converted into muscle. When you stop exercising the trained muscle eventually gets back to its pre-exercise level.
The writer is a certified Clinical Exercise Specialist, Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist.
