Aerobic Activity Helps Burn Off Fat, Cooper Wellness Instructors Say

Keeping active is the key to burning, rather than storing, body fat, trainers at Cooper Wellness Program in Dallas say. During healthy stay-overs of two or six days at the Cooper Guest Lodge, instructors teach clients how to exercise aerobically to use up calories and turn fat into muscle.

Let's take a look at a few truths about fat. Triglycerides and cholesterol are the major sources of fat circulating in the blood. Both are needed--triglycerides for energy and cholesterol for building strong cells. But when either one remains high for prolonged periods that spells trouble for the heart and other organs. Most of the fats we consume in the U.S., including butter, margarine and oils, are in triglyceride form.

Aerobic exercise helps clients burn calories and body fat at an increased rate, says Todd Whitthorne, executive director at Cooper Wellness. Interest in aerobics--popularized 40 years ago by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder of The Cooper Institute--has continued to grow every decade since, Whitthorne notes. In Cooper classes, instructors explain how aerobic, cardiovascular exercise conditions the heart and lungs to use oxygen better. In addition to getting rid of fat, aerobic exercise makes muscles stronger and the body more fit and flexible.

Doing aerobics increases the metabolism so that calories keep burning after exercise. “Because aerobic activity burns calories at a high rate and helps reduce body fat, people who exercise on a regular basis develop more fat-burning enzymes than those who don’t exercise at all,” says Dr. Riva Rahl, medical director at Cooper Wellness.

Effective, fat burning, aerobic exercises include walking, jogging, running, cycling, working out on machines and swimming. Susie Kania, exercise physiologist at Cooper Wellness, advises that “to stay fit, you should do aerobics at least 20 minutes a day, three times a week. And it's important to try to exercise at 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate.”

For beginners, starting out with two or three basic moves is the best approach, Kania says. Working out with equipment like small weights or a stepper are ways to get started. By increasing an activity over the course of the first few weeks, beginners become accustomed to doing exercises faster and don't get tired as quickly. Adopting a routine at least three times a week makes clients leaner and lays the foundation for developing more strength and flexibility down the road.

Using a stepper is one of the best aerobic ways to burn calories, Kania says. By lifting each leg and then resting it, the weight of the body repeatedly shifts and muscles are exercised. Stepping is good for the heart and joints. The amount of fat that's burned depends on the height of the stepper, how quickly each movement is performed and how long the exercise is done. The stepper equipment can be adjusted to an appropriate height.

In water aerobics, activities like running, walking and jumping jacks are done in a swimming pool. Flotation belts and devices, ankle and wrist weights, and specialized shoes are often used. Water aerobics don't burn as many calories as other options but are often recommended for people with arthritis. At the Cooper Fitness Center, water classes are held in one of two on-campus pools.

As beginners graduate to intensive, aerobic exercise, a shift in energy mobilization and utilization takes place in their bodies, Rahl says. Studies have shown that fat oxidation occurs in exercise intensities of anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of a person's maximal oxygen uptake.

Gender is one of the factors that can affect fat oxidation, Rahl also says. Women often burn fat at a greater rate than men during exercise that is sub-maximal in nature--or less than the maximum that a person can do. Estrogen has been shown to increase the rate of fat oxidation.

Kania says for a fat-burning tip that works, eat properly to reduce body fat while doing fat-burning exercises. “Remember not to exceed your allotted calories each day and to increase your physical activity weekly,” she advises.

And Dr. Kenneth Cooper says “if you look at body fat, it seems to increase with age, even though your weight does not. People say that's a physiological fact of aging. The heck it is! It's an adaptive effect of aging and you can do something about it.”

For more information on the Cooper Wellness and their 6-day and 2-day wellness programs go to http://www.cooperwellness.com/ or call 972-386-4777.

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MEDIA ADVISORY: For more information or to arrange an interview with Todd Whitthorne, executive director at Cooper Wellness, please contact Jo Trizila, TrizCom, at (972) 247-1369 or (214) 232-0078 or jo@trizcom.com.