Keep Moving with Regular Physical Activity

1. Keep Moving with Regular Physical Activity

2. Where Does Physical Activity Fit In? • Include physical activity into your plan for successful and safe weight loss. • To lose weight, you need an “energy imbalance”: • Physical activity is one way to increase the amount of energy “out” by burning more calories. The following strategies will help move you in the right direction to burn more calories…

3. What Types of Activities Should I Include? Canada’s Physical Activity Guide recommends 3 types of activities: Endurance or Aerobic Activities Strength Activities Flexibility Activities 1 2 3

4. 1 Endurance/Aerobic activities are the most important for weight loss. • These activities make your heart beat faster and increase your rate of breathing. • To benefit from these activities, you must be active for at least 10 minutes at a time. • Endurance activities use more energy than other activities. • This energy is stored in the body as calories.

5. 1 More on endurance/aerobic activities for healthy weight loss… • When you need the energy, you “burn” calories. • When you burn more calories than you eat, you lose “weight”. • These “aerobic” activities can include walking, swimming, bicycling, skating and many recreational activities (e.g. aerobic fitness classes, dancing).

6. 2 Strength activities make muscles work harder to overcome a load or resistance. • The load or resistance could be: • your own body weight (e.g. situps, pushups, walking up stairs) • added load (e.g. bags of groceries, bags of leaves, weight training equipment like dumbbells). • Strength activities make your muscles and bones stronger which makes it easier for your body to be active.

7. 3 Flexibility activities make joints bend and stretch. • These activities make your joints more flexible and reduce your risk of injury. • Examples include stretching, yoga, or gardening.

8. How much activity do I need each day? • To reduce risk of certain diseases (e.g. diabetes, heart disease) and for good health, you need 30 minutes of endurance or aerobic activities a day. • For weight loss, the amount of time increases to 60 minutes a day.

9. Working towards 60 minutes a day • 60 minutes is a goal. • The longer you are active, the more energy you will need that will burn more calories. • This helps create a greater energy imbalance that leads to weight loss. • Start by setting daily goals to work toward: • add more time as you feel you are able • activity does not have to be all at once; it can be “added up” in blocks of at least 10 minutes e.g. one 30-minute swim before work and two 15-minute walks during work breaks…it all counts!

10. How often do I need to be active? • The goal should be 60 minutes a day, every day! • Remember, this goal may take some time before it is reached. • Start with as many days a week as you can and work towards being active every day.

11. How hard do I need to work? • During endurance or “aerobic” activities, your muscles need more oxygen to “burn” calories for energy. • To provide your muscles with the right amount of oxygen, you must be working at the right intensity or level of effort.

12. Talking and Singing! • This may take some experimenting to get it right. • you need to be able to hold a conversation while you are active…this is called the “talk test” • if you can sing, you are not working hard enough • if you can’t speak at all, you are working too hard • If you are working too hard, you may not be able to be active for as long as you need to be to reach your daily goal. • If you can’t talk, then you are probably not breathing properly and taking in the right amount of oxygen. • This can affect your ability to “burn” calories.

13. Fitting physical activity into your day. There are two options: 1 Lifestyle activities: finding ways to make everyday activities more “active” • walking at your break • parking further from work, the store, etc. • taking the stairs instead of the elevator • walking or riding your bicycle to the store or to work • doing household chores - gardening, yard work, cleaning • enjoying leisure activities like bird watching, dancing or playing with the kids

14. Fitting physical activity into your day. There are two options: 2 Structured activities: setting aside a specific amount of time for a specific activity such as: • aerobics class • dance class • tennis lessons • power walking • “working out” at the gym

15. Balancing all 3 kinds of activities Although endurance or “aerobic” activities are the most important, it is also important to add strength and flexibility activities to your plan.

16. Finding support When you are beginning to add activity to your life, it is a good idea to look for support to help motivate you toward your goal: • ask friends, family or co-workers who are already active • sign up for a class at a recreation centre (e.g. aquatic fitness class, dance class) • join a league or group in an activity that you enjoy (e.g. bowling, golf) • hire a certified personal trainer at a fitness or health club

17. What’s the next step? • You now have basic information you need to build physical activity into your weight loss plan. • It is important to set goals to help you keep on track and motivated. • The next presentation will provide you with the information you need to set goals to help get you to where you want to go!

18. Self-learning Quiz

19. Self-learning Quiz 1 Strength activities are the most important for weight loss. (true or false) 2 For weight loss, how much activity time should you try to accumulate each day: (a.30 minutes, b.45 minutes or c. 60 minutes) 3 List two options for fitting physical activity into your weight loss plan.

20. A ANSWER 1 Self-learning Quiz Strength activities are the most important for weight loss. (true or false) False. Endurance or “aerobic” activities are the most important because they require the greatest amount of energy and “burn” the greatest number of calories.

21. A ANSWER 2 Self-learning Quiz For weight loss, how much activity time should you try to accumulate each day: (a.30 minutes, b.45 minutes or c. 60 minutes) c. 60 minutes. For good health, 30 minutes is recommended, but this number increases to 60 minutes for weight loss. The longer you are active, the more energy you need. The more energy you need, the more calories you will “burn” and this will create a greater energy imbalance and help you lose weight.

22. A ANSWER 3 Self-learning Quiz List two options for fitting physical activity into your weight loss plan. 1. You can find ways to make your “lifestyle” more active. For example, walking to the store, going dancing with friends, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. 2. Also, you can find a “structured” activity that you enjoy - working out at the gym, an aquatic fitness class, a dance class or power walking.

23. Watch the Next Slide Presentation To find out how to develop a plan of action for losing weight the healthy weigh, watch presentation #4: “Setting Goals and Keeping Track”. For more information on Losing Weight…the healthy weigh, contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 258-2146 x 3100. Ask for the latest brochure and newsletter from Working Toward Wellness Workplace Health Promotion Program.