The Official Newsletter of Bodyfatguide.com
October 14, 2003
What's Your ExcuseFor Not Exercising?
by Ron Brown, author of The Body Fat Guide
What's Your Excuseby Ron Brown, author of The Body Fat Guide
"Ron Brown is a certified fitness trainer who doesn't have an inch of flab on his body. He'll tell you what you can do to become fit and trim too."
TALK TO AMERICA, Washington DC
| "I DON'T
exercise because I don't have the time or energy." This is the most
common explanation people offer when asked why they don't exercise.
However, this is not a valid excuse. If you don't exercise because you feel you don't have
extra time or energy, you have it exactly backwards: The fact is, you don't
have extra time or energy because you don't exercise!
One of the main benefits of exercise is that it makes it easier to get through your busy day by improving your body's functioning efficiency, and by increasing your energy and strength reserves. The effect of a good exercise program is that you should be able to accomplish more tasks in less time with more reserve energy left over. How does exercise accomplish this? First, you must realize that exercise by itself will do you little good, and may actually harm you, if its intensity level is not progressively regulated to your current condition. Additionally, exercise must be combined with a proper amount of rest and recuperation along with a good diet in order to build strength and energy reserves. It may seem paradoxical, but although one feels awakened and renewed with energy while performing exercise, one is actually becoming weaker in the process of using up stored |
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energy, like an active battery gradually being drained of it's electrical charge. In other words, we are getting weaker the more we expend our energy on activity, even though we feel stronger. On the other hand, this process is reversed when we rest and restore our energy. We may feel tired and lethargic due to inactivity, but we are actually getting stronger in the process, like recharging a battery. Exercise uses up energy and eventually leaves you fatigued. It is the recover of energy during rest periods following exercise that gradually builds up your energy reserves to higher levels. Instead of recuperating energy with adequate amounts of rest, many people neglect rest and resort to using stimulates like caffeine and other drugs to increase their energy levels. But, the idea that these stimulants actually add energy to your body is an illusion. You may whip a tired horse to make it respond energetically, but the whip does not provide energy to the horse. The whip merely causes the horse to drain what little energy remains in it's storage. This applies similarly to people who use stimulants to drag themselves through their day. They are simply draining what little energy they have left in storage. A better solution is for people to increase their energy reserves by using exercise and adequate amounts of rest. |
| In addition to building your
energy reserves, exercise also increases your body's functioning
efficiency, allowing you to perform your daily
chores without working beyond your physical capacity. Without exercise, the limit of your
body's physical capacity would remain at the level
of your usual activity level. What's wrong with that? Well, as soon as you
extend yourself beyond your usual limit with one little extra twist or turn,
or by attempting an extra task, problems begin.
Working beyond one's physical capacity brings on a host of health problems, ranging from stress to overuse syndrome. Let's illustrate how exercise protects you from these problems by increasing your physical capacity. We will use the analogy of a car. If a car's engine is only capable of running at 60-mph, and you push it to run at 61-mph, your car is in for a breakdown. However, if you were able to increase your car's engine capacity to run up to 100-mph, then running it at 61-mph, 71-mph, or 81-mph would present no problem. You would arrive at your destination sooner and your car would still be in good shape. (Please obey posted speed limits!) |
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Building up your physical capacity with a good exercise
program accomplishes the same thing. It increases your physical capacity
to perform more work, which ensures that you can easily perform your usual
activities without stress or strain, and it leaves you with plenty of strength
left over to increase your productivity. Okay, you are convinced you need to exercise. How should you get started? For a complete strength-building program that requires no exercise equipment, see.. |
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