What's Your Exercise Personality?

Photo taken by E. OpongBrown

Just like people are classified as having type A or type B personalities, you can categorize people when it comes to exercise. According to Fitness: Theory and Practice, by Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, there are four groups:

1. Type A. Advanced: this person is the most fit and committed when it comes to exercise and workout . You can even say that this individual LOVES to exercise so much that, he/she will workout everyday. This person like to exercise at a high intensity and is the one in the class shouting "wohooo," or count along with the instructor and says "yes," when the instructor says, "how about one more set?" while other students groan.
2. Type B. Intermediate: this type would rather workout three to four days a week at a moderate to high intensity level compared to a type A. This personality listens to his/her body and chooses to rather than have to exercise. 
3. Type C. Beginner: this is the gym newbie. Ready to exercise and needs to feel comfortable. 
4. Type D. Everybody else: this type is the non-exerciser. He/she is able to exercise but due to lack of time or motivation.

What is your fitness type? When I was younger, I was a type A. I worked out everyday, hated it if I missed a day and my friends told me I was addicted to exercise. As I mature, I've become a type B. I do a variety of exercises such as Zumba, Spinning or Bootcamp at different intensity levels because I don't want to burn out. I take at least one day off because I don't want to overtrain or get injured. This is especially important since I'm training to run a half marathon. I've burned out before, lost complete motivation and didn't have the desire to step my foot into a gym. That changed when I started putting on weight (hahaha). 

A type A, B, or C, find your comfort zone and make an effort to exercise. If you're a type D, get a doctor's permission so that you can begin an exercise program. Here's to your health. 

Just Say No to Fad Diets!

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The Cabbage Soup Diet. The Atkins Diet. The South Beach Diet. The Grapefruit Diet. The HCG Diet. The list goes on and on. Fad diets come and go and get more extreme but will you even shed weight on them? Yes, but I believe in the old fashioned method of losing weight; eating a well balanced diet and exercising.

In basic nutrition, we need water, fats, carbohydrates, protein, minerals and vitamins. In my opinion, fad diets don't provide a balanced nutrition. If it is your goal to lose weight, talk with your physician to help you find the right path. It's been tried and true that monitoring caloric intake and exercising to burn fat will help shed the pounds.

The latest fad is the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin diet, best known as the HCG diet and it blows my mind. I've never given it a thought but recently someone asked my opinion of it. HCG is a hormone produced by pregnant women to help grow the placenta which provides nutrition to the fetus, eliminates waste and respiratory gases.

In order to lose weight, HCG dieters consume only 500 calories and get injections of the hormone. These dieters can lose about one to three pounds per day. What I know for sure is that this isn't healthy. It's better to shed about that much weight in a month but not in a day.

The healthiest way to lose weight requires hard work and it's slow and steady. Fad diets are quick fixes. Who can live on only 500 calories for a lifetime? I can't even imagine the emotional and physical tole. I know that I'll be cranky if I had to starve myself in order to lose weight. And chances are, I'd lose friends in addition to the pounds.

If fad diets worked, the first fad diet would have been the last. Say no to fad diets, and to the best of your ability, eat healthy and exercise and the weight will come off. Here's to your health!