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Read the most frequently asked questions to dietitians and physical activity experts, and most importantly, their answers which can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.


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Sports and healthy weight

5 questions
Q: Reading through the questions you keep saying muscle weighs more than fat - I think you are deceiving people - a pound of muscles weighs the same as a pound of fat. Muscle is more dense - therefor you can look lean and have the scale say your weight is higher then if you were the same weight and less fit. - Echolake
A: That is a great point! You are absolutely right. Weight is absolute…a pound of anything is still a pound! However, when we look at the amount of space that muscle takes up (its density) versus the density of fat, we see that muscle is more dense and takes up less room than fat does. So, what you said makes sense, your weight may be the same (or in some cases higher) when you build muscle and lose body fat, but your body appears smaller because less space is taken up by the muscle than the fat.

The reason this often gets confused is that when we compare an equal volume of muscle and fat, meaning that both would take up the same amount of space, muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. For example, one litre of muscle would weigh 1.06 kg and one litre of fat would weigh 0.9 kg.

The bottom line is that muscle is a much more metabolically active tissue which helps your body to burn more calories…even at rest! So regardless of your weight on the scale, building more muscle, which eventually leads to your body burning more fat as a fuel source, is always a great way to keep your body healthy and strong.

Nicole Springle, RD


Q: i'm 15 years old and my weight is 72kg my hip is big and i don't know which exercises is good for me can you help me please?!! - yasiboni@yahoo.com
A: Hi there,
The most efficient way to slim down hips is to combine an aerobic cyclic exercise (such as running, walking, biking, doing cross-country skiing, skating, etc.) with some exercises to tone that region like squats, jumps, etc. So my recommendation, if you are serious about losing some weight and toning up, is that you progressively start by adding 2-3 cardio sessions per week of approximately 30 to 45 minutes each. At your age, you should focus on bringing your heart rate between 150 and 170 beats per minute. It will be hard the first few weeks, but if you tough it out, you will quickly see results, not only on your hips but on your general physical shape. After 2-3 months of just that, you could progressively add muscle toning exercises. Focusing mainly on legs and thighs, you could do a routine of 4-5 exercises with two series of 15 to 25 repetitions. If you are not too familiar with leg exercises, you can start with some basic knee flexion with weights, and also climbing stairs two or three steps at the time.
You could look for good tips on the Web. You could also include abdominal exercises that use the hip muscles. This will help with your overall strength and also to slim down the waist. Try to include these muscle toning exercises twice a week. It can be right after the cardio workout or on the days when you are not doing them.
Good luck,
Nathalie Lambert


Q: I am a bit heavy on my waist and I have started playing squash 5 days a week for about 1 hour on average. Will this activity help me reduce my weight and stomach? - Ashley Pinto
A: Absolutely! Squash is a very intense sport that burns a lot of calories per hour and works out the whole body. The better a player you become, the longer the exchanges will be and each game will become more effective. It works in two ways: it is a very good sport for cardio (you are running, a lot of stop and go) so it burns a lot of calories and a lot of them come from fat cells all over your body (including your waist); it also builds better toned muscle tissue that will increase your metabolism (so you will be burning more calories per day just with your daily activities). The only extra thing that you could do is to include a couple of sets of ab exercises per week so that you strengthen your core muscles to prevent injuries from quick twist moves while playing squash. With stronger abs, it will tighten the waist, creating a smaller line.

Keep up your squash games. It’s a fun, challenging and extremely efficient way to get into shape!

Nathalie Lambert


Q: When I play tennis for 40 minutes, I find that the effort comes in intervals, i.e. my partner makes me run every three exchanges or so. Can those 40 minutes be considered sufficient? - Anonymous
A: Certain sports, such as tennis, are similar to interval training. They have are periods of downtime mixed with moments of intense effort. These types of sports are quite different from endurance sports which require you to keep moving, almost without stopping. However, as long as you put enough effort into those intense moments, tennis can be a great sport to give your heart and your muscles an effective workout.

In any case, listen to your body. If you feel tired after 40 minutes of tennis, then the effort and amount of time should be adequate. If you still feel full of energy after 40 minutes, try to make your game last longer, a little bit at a time. Here are some ways you can make your current game a more challenging: try jumping in place while you are waiting for the ball to come to you or try squatting lower and bending your knees more. Now and then, you could also plan to hit training shots with your partner instead of playing a regular game. Practising training shots will make you run back and forth, which will make your workout more efficient and help improve your game. Remember the most important thing is to stay active and have fun!

Nathalie Lambert


Q: I have been working out about 5 times/wk doing aerobic classes, watching my diet by working with a dietatician but I don't seem to be losing weight...any thoughts as to why? - bezansoc
A: There could be many reasons why your weight has not changed yet. One reason could be that while the amount of body fat is reducing, your muscle mass is increasing at the same time, which is a good thing. The more lean weight you have, the higher your metabolism will be and eventually, you will burn more calories. Another reason may be that your appetite has increased a bit and you might be eating more than before. This does happen sometimes when people start exercising more frequently.

Unfortunately, genetics play a big part and even with the best efforts, for some people, it is a slower process. But don’t worry, it does eventually happen and you are definitely on the right track by investing in your health — you should be proud of yourself. I suggest that you have a body fat test every now and then because it is a good indication of your improvement. Try to focus on your long term goal and not on the number. Maybe your weight has not changed yet, but your clothes are getting looser — another indication that you’re on the right track. Make sure your workouts are high intensity enough that you are slightly out of breath while exercising. That will tell you that you’re getting a good workout and working up a good sweat as well. Be patient and keep up the good work.

Nathalie Lambert


 
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