Fitness vs fatness

Traditionally it’s known that weight gain is a matter of positive energy balance. More calories from food plus sedentary life equal weight gain. Decreased calories and high activity level usually means weight loss. Most weight loss topics are about the goodness of good food and the badness of bad food. Just like with food, different people have different preferences with activity types and amounts. Some people are addicted to exercise, they run marathons, go to the gym at 4:30 in am, jog 5-7 times per week or bike for 20 miles per day. Some fit in yoga or a Pilates class 2-3 times per week or take a dog for a walk or just walk. Others feel too tired, exhausted or depressed to force themselves into a simple walk. Truly, we come in different mind-sets, shapes, colors and attitudes but we all benefit from exercise. There is definite inverse correlation between fitness and fatness. Physical fitness is actually more than exercise. It is a general state of good health, usually as a result of exercise and nutrition. Fitness is achieved through healthy eating and exercise. But how much and what kind of exercise it takes to be considered fit?
Not long ago American Heart Association recommended 30 min of exercise for 5 times daily. In 2005 the recommendation changed to 210 minutes per week and more recent recommendation is more than that. More than 210 minutes per week helped people to maintain 10% of lost weight.
Some important facts about fitness - it is associated with better immunity, better neutrophil (cells that fight infection) action, less inflammation, less depression, less atherosclerosis, less mortality, better HDL (good) cholesterol, less LDL (bad) cholesterol, better diabetes control, better sleep and more productivity.
Aerobic exercise training is an effective way of achieving these goals. Most exercise we do, like walking, jogging, biking, dancing, yoga, Pilates, swimming etc is aerobic. Resistance training also induces beneficial changes in insulin sensitivity, glucose storage and muscle mass. Exercise increases the amount of oxygen that is inhaled and distributed to body tissues and increases the metabolism.

Muscle mass is lost with aging; therefore, resistance training may be particularly important in people over 50. You need to start slow and with a trainer or a tape that teaches you how to do the weight training. Most YMCAs will offer such classes. Consider taking a body building class. Keep walking, park your car far from your destination, take stairs, do the am-charge-up, use the exercise bike. Even when you feel tired make an effort to achieve fitness - it will pay-off.
Studies have shown that it is better to be fat and fit than thin and unfit.