Posted on: July 26, 2007
How long does it take?
By Mark L. Fuerst
CTW Features
How long does it take?
That’s often the big question when it comes to losing weight, gaining strength, getting ready for a race or overcoming a sports injury.
Here’s a handy guide of answers to some typical questions.
How long does it take in exercise each week to lose extra weight?
About five hours of weekly exercise may bring the biggest weight loss for overweight adults who also are watching their intake of fat and calories, says to John Jakicic, Ph.D., head of the University of Pittsburgh Health and Physical Activity Department.
Jakicic and colleagues studied nearly 200 overweight women for two years. They were told to consume 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. Fat was to account for 20 percent to 30 percent of those calories. Those who lost the most weight reported logging 270 to 300 minutes of exercise a week, which is four and a half to five hours weekly.
Of the 172 women (90 percent) who completed the study, here are the average percentages of body weight lost by each group:
• Moderate amount of moderate-intensity exercise: 4.9 percent
• Moderate amount of vigorous exercise: 3.7 percent
• A lot of moderate-intensity exercise: 6.5 percent
• A lot of vigorous exercise: 7.2 percent.
The results were presented recently at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity’s annual scientific meeting in Vancouver, Canada.
How long does it take to lose 10 pounds?
You can lose 10 pounds in 10 days if you do 45 to 60 minutes of daily aerobic activity at least five days a week and eat a diet that provides a minimum amount of food, 900 to 1,000 daily calories, says New York personal trainer Brian Heir.
Women can eat about 300 more free calories, and men have about 500 more free calories to reduce weight safely.
For those extra calories, have a piece of fruit or bread, a glass of skim milk or low-fat yogurt, or a low-fat, low-sugar dessert. The diet should provide 12 to 15 percent of calories from protein, 55 to 70 percent from carbohydrates, and 10 to 30 percent from fats. In addition, Heir suggests drinking eight glasses of water during the day.
“Most of the content of the foods we eat comes from water. When you are slightly dehydrated, your brain knows it needs water and sends out a hunger signal,” Heir says.
“If you drink water throughout the day, you will only get hunger cues when you are truly hungry.”
How long does it take to increase strength quickly?
You may be able to improve your strength more quickly if you lift weights more slowly. A strength-training technique known as Super Slow that involves very controlled weight-lifting movements may offer the most effective means of building strength, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass.
“A more sustained period of muscle tension may be the key factor for stimulating greater strength gains,” Westcott says.
Because Super Slow workouts are more demanding, he advises new strength trainers to start with the standard eight to 12 repetitions at seven seconds each (two seconds lifting, one second pausing, four seconds lowering).
When you reach a strength plateau, then do six weeks of Super Slow training, four to six repetitions of each exercise at 14 seconds per repetition (10 seconds lifting, four seconds lowering) to go even further. Go back to six weeks of standard training before engaging in another six-week period of Super Slow workouts.
How long does it take to get ready for a race or fitness event?
If you want to get fit fast for an upcoming race or event, all you need is a month’s time and the dedication to stick to your goals.
You will need to do cardiovascular training four to six days a week for 30 to 50 minutes and weight training two to three days per week, says Ken Baldwin, president of Premier Fitness, Inc., a personal training company based in Cambridge, Mass.
If you don’t have any past experience getting into shape, Baldwin suggests hiring a qualified personal trainer and getting nutritional help from a dietitian. For your baseline, do one or two sets of strength-training exercises, using enough weight to feel fatigue after 12-15 repetitions.
Do a total body workout that involves all of the major muscle groups.
Multijoint exercises that involve more than one joint, such as squats, leg presses, dead lifts, bench presses and pull-downs, are the best.
You can also use circuit training by moving quickly from one exercise to the next.
Or try split-body training that works different body parts on different days: Day one, chest and triceps; Day two, hamstrings and quadriceps; Day three, back and biceps; and Day four, shoulders and calves. For cardiovascular training, the ultimate goal is to go as long as you can, as hard as you can.
Start using the hill or interval programs on exercise machines.
You will burn more calories and get more variety to get you through the doldrums.
How long does it take to recover from a sprained ankle?
Treat a sprained ankle right, and you can be on your feet in a few days and back in action in a few weeks, says Dr. Allan Levy, team physician with the New York Giants and author of “Sports Injury Handbook” (John Wiley). The best immediate treatment for an ankle sprain is RICE: rest, ice, compression and elevation. Rest your ankle immediately.
If you stay off the ankle until the swelling stabilizes, usually you can walk easily within a day.
Ice your ankle for 20 minutes or until it starts to feel numb, let it warm up, and keep icing for 20 minutes on and off for two days or until the ankle returns to normal size.
Compress the ankle by wrapping it with an elastic bandage to limit swelling and bruising.
Elevate the ankle so that it’s above your hips. As soon as you can, begin range-of-motion exercises to reduce stiffness and restore mobility. Using your big toe as a pointer, trace the capital letters of the alphabet from A to Z. Repeat every hour you are awake.
