| 1. What is exercise? |
Exercising is an activity that works the muscles in our bodies. Performing the activity increases the amount of oxygen delivered to the muscles. Exercising in general improves our cardiovascular health.
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| 2. Which is the best exercise to do? |
All exercises are good for us and we all know this. As for the best exercise, it all depends on the reason for doing it. For example, should you be looking at exercising for weight-loss, cardiovascular exercises are the better option.
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| 3. How often must I exercise? |
You should exercise at least three days out of seven. This does not necessarily mean going to gym. Golf, swimming, cycling etc. are all forms of exercise. I don’t consider working in the garden an exercise. An exercise must take you out of your comfort zone.
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| 4. How much and how hard must I exercise? |
Only you will know how fit you are. Exercising depends a lot on your endurance, stamina and fitness. If you are just starting, your exercise period should be shorter and there’s no need to be hard on yourself in the beginning.
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| 5. Is exercising safe? |
Absolutely. The golden rule is that you must know what you are doing and how to do it.
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| 6. Do I need medical clearance? |
If you have any chronic diseases [it is important to first see your doctor regarding your exercise plan] or if you have not exercised for a very long time and are over-weight or obese. You can also discuss your training programme with a fitness trainer or lifestyle consultant. Getting advice has never hurt anyone. You will find that you only gain support by asking.
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| 7. How do I start? |
The same way you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Plan your exercises, get a programme, ask for advice and take that first step. Remeber it’s important to take it easy if you have’nt exercised for a long time.
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| 8. Should I eat special food? |
Exercise and dieting is a lifestyle and there should always be a balance between the two. If you exercise and you want to lose weight you will have to follow a diet or at least eat correctly. If you’re exercising to build your body you will have to eat food that is required for muscle building such as protein etc.
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| 9. Should I work out my entire body in one routine? |
When exercising it is important to do the exercises to perfection in the time available. By working your whole body in one routine you will need at least 2,5 to 3 hours as it is important to exercise 2 to 3 different muscles out of a muscle group in one day to get results. This could also result in overtraining.
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| 10. How should I train? |
My advice to you is to take a month and plan your exercise programme. Learn how to do the exercises correctly, which exercises works for you and what times suit you best. Then, when you have your working exercise programme, stick to it!
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| 11. Should I eat before or after I exercise? |
This all depends on the person. I personally like to eat at least 45 minutes before I exercise as it gives me the energy I need to lift the weights. Marathon runners do the same. They will eat before and during a race for stamina. It also depends on the time of the day, the duration of your routine and what was on the menu. On the other hand some people get cramps when they exercise after they have eaten and some who believe you should not eat for at least an hour after you have exercised,to burn fat. Naturally your muscles need to recover after exercise and for that they need "fuel".
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| 12. What does the term "target heart rate" mean? |
Your age and weight determine the amount of calories that you burn during an exercise. Your target heart rate helps you to measure and monitor the level at which you have to perform the exercise to burn the amount of calories you have in mind. If you want to burn 600 calories in 60 minutes your heart rate will have to be much higher than someone wanting to burn 300 calories in 60 minutes. There are three ways in which you can measure your target heart rate. 1. By taking your pulse – this approach requires measuring your pulse periodically as you exercise and staying within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate 2. By using a heart rate monitor 3. By using the conversational method – if you can talk and walk at the same time, you aren't working too hard. If you can sing and maintain your level of effort, you're probably not working hard enough. If you get out of breath quickly, you're probably working too hard.
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| 13. How do I know when I am over training? |
We need to give our muscles 48 hours to rest. If you did weight training for arms on Monday you cannot do it again on Tuesday. Overtraining occurs when you train your body beyond its ability to recover. If you do this you may feel sick, tired (fatigued) all the time. You may also feel restless, sleep too lightly, lose your appetite and experience muscle spasms. If you feel your are overtraining, cut back on your workout-days per week, exercises and number of sets when doing weight training.
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| 14. What must I do if i feel dizzy or nauseous during exercise? |
Your body will tell you when to take "time out". Stop immediately, rest and recover. When feeling nauseous it helps to lie down on a cold surface. The most important rule when training is to listen to your body. If the condition continues, see your doctor.
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| 15. Do I need to warm up before I exercise? |
It’s very important to warm up before you exercise, and also important to cool off afterwards. In fact, these two factors are as important as the exercise itself. Choose a warm-up activity that uses the same muscles you'll use during your workout. If you're going to run, jog slowly for 5 to 10 minutes to loosen up your muscles and to rev up your cardiovascular system. Immediately after your workout, cool down by exercising at a low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes. Cooling down may help avoid muscle injuries, stiffness and soreness.
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| 16. What is 'shin splints'? |
Shin splints is a general term used to refer to a painful condition in the shins. This is usually caused by running or jumping and is more commonly found amongst runners. Often wearing the wrong shoe when running causes shin splints, which may take a long time to heal.
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| 17. How can I avoid injuries? |
Remember that prevention is better than cure. Simply warm up before your exercise, build up gradually, learn the correct technique, use appropriate equipment, rest in-between exercising and plan your routine.
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| 18. When I sweat during training, am I burning fat? |
If the answer was yes, we would see far more over-weight people in our gyms. We lose water whilst exercising
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| 19. Will I become dehydrated by exercising? |
Yes you will! Most people lose between 1 and 2/L of fluid per hour when working hard in an exercise programme. Not drinking enough fluids will cause your muscles to get tired very quickly and leg cramps may be the order of the day. You may also feel dizzy, nauseous and might even vomit. Water also plays a major part in weight-loss.
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| 20. Should I drink water before I exercise? |
What you eat or drink before you exercise can make or break your workout. Drink at least one glass of water before you start exercising and replace the fluid that you are losing during your routine with water.
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| 21. When does exercise become fun? |
Exercising should be fun from day one for you, as the right kind of exercise does many great things for your body and soul. It shouldn’t feel necessary or compulsory. Just enjoy it. If it’s not enjoyable, it has taken over your life as the top priority under which everything else is subordinated. If it’s no longer a free choice, my advice to you is STOP!
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| 22. What tips can you give me for my exercise programme? |
We are all different and what works for one person might not work for another. The most important thing is to find out what works for you and stick to it. It is often the simplest of things that works best. Stay focused, energised and enjoy your workouts.
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| 23. What is the best and fastest way to lose weight? |
Cardiovascular exercise is by far the best for losing weight. Unfortunately there is no guarantee it will help you lose weight faster as there is no "overnight" method of losing weight. It takes time and commitment.
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| 24. Will exercising make me thinner? |
Exercise alone will not make you thinner. Combining exercise with a healthy diet can help to make you thinner, but you also need to exercise correctly by putting your body into an "aerobics" mode with cardiovascular exercises.
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| 25. Should I lose weight before I start with an exercise programme? |
Dieting and exercising are two programmes that should be followed in balance to lose weight. Should you lose weight before you start an exercise programme your weight-loss may be slower and you might lose interest. Exercising will help you to lose weight faster.
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| 26. How can I keep on losing weight while I am on my fitness plan? |
This is so simple; just stay focused, stick to your fitness plan, eat right and drink plenty of water.
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| 27. Can low impact exercise help me to lose weight? |
Some people cannot do high impact training. In most circumstances this is because of an injury or even several injuries. You cannot work for less than 20 minutes a session when you want to lose weight and you have to get your heart rate up. Walking, for example, is by far the most popular low impact exercise but even when walking you need to get your heart rate up. You can do this by either running with intervals, or by walking up a hill. So the answer is yes, provided you get your heart rate up.
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| 28. Why can I not lose weight even though i’m exercising? |
There should always be a balance between eating and exercising. You may be doing something wrong in either your diet or exercise programme. Try some changes on your own and if you dont see results, ask for advice.
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| 29. Can I exercise and lose weight while I am pregnant? |
Yes, you can but you have to follow a special exercise programme and diet. Get medical advice and exercise under the supervision of a trainer.
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| 30. Is yoga an exercise and will it help me lose weight? |
Yoga is a scientific system of physical and mental practices that originated in India more than three hundred years ago. The purpose of Yoga is to help you achieve your highest potential and in achieving this, to experience enduring health and happiness. Yoga is an exercise for the mind and spirit but as far as your body is concerned, it will not help you to lose weight.
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| 31. When should I train with weights vs. cardiovascular? |
Cardiovascular exercises focus on developing and strengthening your lungs, heart and blood vessels so that they all work more efficiently. Weight training on the other hand strengthens the muscles. I use lifting of weights to assist in the break-down of fat. Both weights and cardiovascular exercises are excellent for weight-loss, so why not combine them? If you intend to build your body you need to stay away from cardiovascular exercises as they burn the calories you need to perform heavy weight exercises.
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| 32. Should cardiovascular exercise be slow or fast for the best results? |
The answer is very much the same as question 27. The faster you do your exercise, the higher you will push your heart rate and the more calories you will burn, leaving you with a quicker result.
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| 33. Does adding weights to my cardio exercise burn more calories? |
For sure! You need to get your heart rate up to burn more calories and the more difficult the exercise, the quicker you will get your heart rate up. When you lose weight an exercise becomes easier to do. By adding weights to the exercise you are putting back the weight that you have lost, making the exercise difficult again.
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| 34. How many calories does weight training burn? |
Not enough to make you lose weight on its own. Weight training puts your body in an "un-aerobic" mode, although it will assist in breaking down fat if done correctly. For fat loss you have to increase your repetitions to at least 15 or more of one specific exercise. Lower amount of reps and high weights will build your muscles.
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| 35. How can I tone up on my whole body? |
When on a weight-loss programme the last thing on your mind should be how you can tone your body. The most important thing is to first lose some fat. Cardiovascular exercise will tone your whole body. Walking is a good example, as it works almost all the muscles in your body. The same with swimming, which is a good cardiovascular and resistance training exercise.
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| 36. Why are my muscles so fatigued? |
Your muscles are fatigued due to lack of exercise, not being active for many years. You may think that doing your own house work can keep you fit and your muscles must be strong. Yet it may the complete opposite of what you feel when you start a training programme.
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| 37. What is the difference between circuit training and free weights? |
Circuit training is where you exercise your whole body and normally starts with the bigger muscle groups first. It is also more for beginners so they can experience what works best for them. Circuit training and cardiovascular exercise, is an excellent combination for weight-loss. Free weight training helps increase your muscular strength for big muscles and is more for serious body builders. It will not help you with weight-loss.
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| 38. How should I group my muscles for workouts? |
There is no set rule on how you should group your muscles for your workouts. You should mix and match your muscle groups in your weekly routines and shock your muscles with new rep and set ranges, exercises and training routines on a regular basis.
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| 39. Which muscles should I work out first? |
This depends on your programme and not a specific muscle group. Normally one would start with a bigger muscle group such as your back and legs on a Monday after a rest day (Sunday).
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| 40. How many days a week should I do weight training? |
It truly does not matter how many days you do weight training. Of importance is that you do not exercise one group of muscles more than twice a week.
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| 41. How do I increase muscle group endurance? |
By targeting a specific muscle group. Increase the sets and do more frequent exercises. Example: You want to increase the endurance of the upper leg. You will target the hamstring, doing 4 sets of 2 to 3 different exercises at least twice a week.
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| 42. How do I avoid “flapping” when I wave? |
This is a problem many over-weight people experience when they start losing weight. You need to focus more on the triceps and do more weight training. The triceps is the muscle at the back of the arm. Remember it took your skin years to stretch, so you can’t expect it to shrink in just a few days or weeks.
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| 43. I have big hips and thighs. How do I slim them? |
People with big hips and thighs must be patient as they will not get smaller overnight. It is normally the last part of your body to lose fat. You have to concentrate more on cardiovascular exercises and when you do weight training, do lunges and squats that target the hips and thigh areas.
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| 44. How can I make a big tummy smaller? |
It’s one of the most difficult areas to tone. Abdominal exercises aren’t easy for people who have big stomachs. My advice is to start with a good cardiovascular programme. This will helpe you lose weight so it’s easier to do sit-ups. Once you can do them you can target the stomach area and include crunches to your programme to shed more fat and tone up your stomach.
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| 45. How many times a week can I exercise my tummy? |
The beauty of abdominal exercises for over-weight people is that they can do them every day as long as they perform them correctly.
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| 46. Should I wear a weightlifting belt during resistance training? |
When doing weight-loss training, no. To build your muscles, yes.
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| 47. Can I get great abs from a balance ball? |
Absolutely! Balance works the core that works the abdominal muscles, making the balance ball a great apparatus for abs. For best results you can add weight training that also strengthens the core, such as barbell curls.
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| 48. Should I take any supplements when training? |
I do not recommend the use of a weight-loss supplement as it is not only expensive, but doesn’t always work. Rather use the money to pay a personal trainer who will assist you in reaching your goal.
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| 49. How do I lose that last layer of fat? |
It’s the last 5 metres before the 100 m runner crosses the finishing line. What does he do? He gives his best to go faster and crosses the line without stopping. It should be the same with you. You have to work harder, persevere and never give up. It will all come together soon enough.
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| 50. What should I do once I have reached my initial goal? |
You’ve worked very hard for this, sweated it out and maybe even cried a few tears. Don’t throw it all away by going back to your previous lifestyle! Embrace your new way of life and maintain a healthy balance between exercise and diet. Congratulations... you’re a winner!
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