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About Kurt Zettel

Kurt has a BS in kinesiology, and three years of experience tutoring and assisting teachers for anatomy / physiology classes. In his spare time he volunteers in a variety of physical therapy settings.

Exercise Away Health Risks

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Aerobics Exercise Health Risk

Aerobic Exercise and Your Heart

Aerobic exercise three times a week enhances the heart’s ability to pump blood to the tissues and makes new blood vessels. Aerobic exercises, include walking, running, biking, and swimming, and will strengthen the entire cardiovascular system. To better appreciate the results of aerobic exercise, it is beneficial to see the heart as just one component of a complex and interconnected cardiovascular system.

Regular Aerobic Exercise

How to define regular exercise? The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends thirty minutes of aerobic exercise on three days each week. Remember that the amount of exercise someone does depends on their level of fitness. It is also crucial for individuals with risk factors like asthma, a history of heart condition, over-weight, or other any pre-existing medical condition to consult their doctor before starting exercising. If there is any pain or discomfort felt during exercise, stop the activity.

Heart

The physical adaptations to the heart caused by regular aerobic exercises are profound. The chambers of the heart which take in blood, increase in size allowing the heart to pump out a higher volume of blood per beat. The result of higher volume of blood pumped per beat means the heart does not need to pump as fast, meaning you have a

decreased heart rate, which is a good thing. Another affect, is that the ventricles of the heart strengthen in response to increased work load caused by aerobic exercise. Hence, the heart gets stronger and grows in response to regular aerobic exercise which again, will lower a person’s resting heart rate.

Arteries

During aerobic exercise, the arteries carry oxygenated blood to the tissues dilate, or expand, allowing more blood to pass through them. With regular exercise, walls of the arteries become thinner making the artery more elastic and flexible. These two adaptations lower blood pressure or the force of the blood squeezing through the arteries. Since the heart pumps blood through the arteries, the less resistance between the arteries and blood, the less the heart has to work to pump blood to the tissues. Conversely, ridged arteries have a reduced ability to flex and dilate / expand, which is linked to high blood pressure, which is a risk that may develop into a cardiovascular disease. Another aerobic adaptation to exercise is the formation of collateral arteries that work like a natural bypass to deliver blood around obstructed arteries. These collateral arteries are formed on the surface of the heart and supply blood to the brain, and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Capillaries

In response to aerobic exercise, capillaries which transfer oxygenated blood from arteries to muscles, and transfer deoxygenated blood from muscles to veins, will create new branches of capillaries. Think of the muscles as a popular mall and the arteries and veins as highways parallel to the mall. The capillaries are the on and off -ramps of those highways. The more popular the mall, or the more a muscle is being worked out, the more on and off-ramps are created to keep up with demand of the muscles. With these additional capillaries, more blood can go to and from the working muscles making muscles more resistant to fatigue.

In Summary
The benefits of aerobic exercise go way beyond weight loss and stress reduction. Other benefits include building a stronger heart, reduced resting blood pressure, and a lower heart rate to name a few. Aerobic exercises, known as cardiovascular exercise in the medical community, are a form of preventative medicine, preventing some cardiovascular conditions such as stroke and heart attack. Like all medicine, it is crucial to determine the proper dose of exercise for each individual based on how conditioned they are and their own medical history.

Behavioral Strategies for Weight Loss

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Strategies for Weight Loss

I lost 80 pounds and continue at my ideal weight going on twelve years and counting.  While, exercise and improved nutrition contributed to my weight loss, a major factor towards my success was that I changed my eating habits, food preferences, and eating behaviors. For many, being over-weight is a symptom of unhealthy food selection, over-eating behaviors, and habits.

Add New Healthy Foods To Your Life

Naturally, we develop food preferences from family and culture. In order to sustain weight loss, new healthy foods must be added to your life long diet. Every week, try to experiment with a healthy food, and if you like it, add it to your life long diet. Eventually, your life long diet will consist of healthy foods and you will crave unhealthy foods less often. Failure is likely when you are on a strict diet eating food you do not enjoy. Many have success reducing how often they eat unhealthy food by choosing one day they allow some unhealthy food in their meal plan. (See Cheat Day).

Make Substitutions

Make substitutions to foods that are better for you and you still enjoy. I eat dark chocolate with lower grams of sugar instead of milk chocolate and I still enjoy the taste.

Know What You’re Eating

 Thoroughly read the nutrition and ingredient information on the labels on every product that you buy. While grocery shopping, use your smart phone to research any ingredients that you do not recognize.

Cheat Day

Two things happen when you deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Your thymus glands releases stress hormones that prevent weight loss, and you will eventually binge-eat the foods that you are craving. To counter this, try incorporating a “cheat day” once a week. On this day, have that piece of pizza, or doughnut that you have cut out of your meals the rest of the week.  Most find over time that they don’t really miss the doughnut and find it easier to eliminate the unhealthy foods for longer periods of time. Having a planned cheat day will give you will power to abstain from unhealthy foods or at least reduce the amount of empty calories you eat.

Identify Causes of Over Eating

There are emotional triggers that can cause binge eating behavior. These behaviors occur when an individual is stressed, depressed, or bored. Over time, over-eating can become a habit without emotional triggers (see habit section). Identifying these behaviors and developing alternative coping strategies to eating is crucial. The first step in concurring over-eating is to write down what emotions you feel and what you eat. This self monitoring technique will help you recognize an over-eating pattern so you can create strategies for adjusting your routines or habits. It is important take action to address the emotions that cause over-eating.

Strategies to Prevent Over-Eating

  1. Find healthy alternative stress foods. Like fruit, vegetables, and nuts.
  2. Drink water more often especially before each meal.
  3. Take yourself out of an environment or schedule other activities to avoid events or places where you will be tempted by unhealthy food.
  4. Increase exercise to combat depression and stress by increasing endorphins.
  5. Meditation
  6. Get a massage
  7. Take a bath or shower
  8. Talk to a friend
  9. Chew on gum. The act of chewing reduces stress, a cause of over eating. Chewing gum also fights cravings and can reduce appetite.
  10. Brush your teeth when craving something sweet. Brushing your teeth distracts you from your cravings.

Breaking Bad Eating Habits

Distracted Eating

Eating while distracted can cause us to over eat or not eat enough. Perhaps, you are watching TV, driving, or working and you realize that you have eaten an entire bag of potato chips. The solution is simple. When you are eating, do nothing else. Instead, focus on how the food tastes.

Eating Too Fast

Eating too fast can cause over-eating because it takes time for your stomach to single to your brain that you are full. Take your time while eating. Have a bite and chew it thoroughly, then put the fork down and pause for 15-30 seconds then take your next bite.

Summary

By monitoring and changing your eating behaviors and habits, and adding new healthy foods to your life long diet, you can lose weight and keep it off. This success does not come without numerous set-backs, where you may relapse and gain weight. As long as you do not give up on your goals to lose weight you will succeed.

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