DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXERCISE AND FAT LOSS
Cycling. As with swimming, cycling is a weight-supported, or non-weight-bearing activity, and therefore of less absolute benefit in fat loss than the non-weight-supportive physical activities. However, again it can have value in the early stages of a program to enable someone to reduce enough fat to carry out other weight-bearing exercise.
Jogging. Jogging is one of the most effective fat loss physical activities available, but ironically, it is not suited for big or overfat people. It can be quite painful and de-motivating for anyone to carry a large body mass over a distance at speed. It can also be relatively dangerous, not just for the extra pressure put on the cardiovascular system, but because of the possibility of weak joints in the hips, knees and ankles.
Many men, who lose significant body fat, are then often motivated to jog and this should obviously not be discouraged. It is important to make clear, however, that jogging is not necessary for fat loss, as many people think. The ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy may be true for the elite athlete, but it has no relevance for very unfit fat individuals.
Walking. For most people, walking represents the single most natural, easiest and convenient form of fat loss physical activity. Because it can be carried out at low-moderate intensity over long durations and with low impact, it presents few injury problems or health risks, walking does not have to be brisk, but most importantly, it should be carried out over a set distance, preferably equating to 3-4 km per day. It can also be increased as part of ‘madental’ activity, such as walking up stairs, not using transport, etc. Hence, in the vast majority of cases where injury is not a limiting factor, walking is perhaps the best form of ‘planned’ physical activity for fat loss.
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