Creeping Obesity

When we were young, the muscles in our body are long and lean with very little fat. As we get older and become less active, however, fat can invade the muscles making them short and fat. In fact, muscles can become so saturated with fat that they can’t hold anymore. That’s why you will notice that when you hold and touch your arm, you feel it’s so soft and saggy. It’s like as if you have the arm of an eighty year old person. You lost that muscle tone and firmness that you had before while you were still young. So, where do the muscles go? You might ask. Actually, the muscle is still there. But because of the lack of exercise, it shrunk and became smaller. That’s the reason why you have that sagging arms. Fat accumulates. So, when the muscle has finally wasted away, we realize that we are getting fatter. This is called “creeping obesity” because it creeps up on you and you don’t even know it! How can you reverse creeping obesity? You can reverse it through exercise and diet. Exercise especially with weights will cause your muscles to be developed, toned and increased. Not only that. As the muscle gets leaner, your metabolism speeds up and you burn more calories. How can it speed up your metabolism? Let me explain. Since you have lost muscle and fats accumulate, you have also lost your calorie-burning power. Why? Because producing muscle uses up more calories. That’s why you need to do more than reduce the amount of food you are eating.

A lot of us go on diet to help us lose weight. But did you know that dieting without exercise doesn’t work? Because it causes you to lose the fat that is right under the skin and does nothing to the fat that has replaced the muscle. Also, if you go on diet without exercising your muscle, your metabolism will slow down causing the accumulation of more fat and sagging of the muscle.

Fat Burning Exercises

What is the best fat burning exercise? It was found out by health experts that exercises that vigorously work both your arms and legs are better fat burners than exercises like running or walking that involve only your legs. Stationary rowing and stationary bicycles with levers you push and pull with your arms as you pedal, also rate high as an effective exercise activity to burn fat.

When it comes from low to moderate exercise like walking or stationary cycling, the longer you do it, the more fat you burn. Find the exercise you enjoy and work best for you and then do it with full commitment so that you can see good results.