Conference rocks::weight_control

    Swimming is one of the best overall exercises for controlled
    weightloss.
    
    /a

    Thats good, and I'll try it.  But its getting colder this time of year,
    any suggestions for winter weather?
    

Indoor swimming?

    Many clubs with indoor pools offer water aerobics.  These are supposed
    to have fantastic results.  I know there is Liberty Fitness in
    Leominster that offers these classes.
    
    

    If you take water aerobics, make sure you get some of those
    slippers that help you grip the pool bottom.

    I just learned that swimming does absolutely nothing for burning
    calories (thus no weight-loss).  It is non aerobic therefore does not
    do much for the heart.  It is however and excellent body toner and it
    builds lots of muscle.  
    
    The reason it doesn't burn calories is because we are flamboyant while
    swimming.
    
    Walking is the very best overall exercise.  It's easy on the joints,
    it's aerobic, one can always find a place to perform this excercise
    it tones and distributes weight evenly from head to toe and it's free!
    
    

    
    When I was 100 lbs overweight I, luckly, was able to walk for exercise.  
    Most of my exercising was walking and (stationary) bicycle riding.  
    It is easier if the seat on the bicycle is comfortable though. :-)
    
    I assume that the information from the last message (sorry I do 
    not remember who wrote it) was from Covert Bailey (sp).  I like much of
    Covert Bailey's stuff but some I question.  For example, he makes a
    point of saying that different people reach aerobic activity from
    different amounts of work.  Like one woman he knew worked aerobically
    by simply standing and shifting weight from one foot to the
    other.  Or something close to that...  Anyway that is great!  you have
    to take one person at a time, if I did the work a marathon runner does
    to reach aerobic activity, believe me, I would be working anaerobically
    (or dead...).
    
    Then, Covert Bailey goes and says something like everyone should
    include at least one day a week of running (to really get the juices
    going I guess) into their exercise routine.  That walking just will not
    do it.  Now, this might be true for him, but not for everyone.  When I
    first started working out I had to be careful not to walk or ride too
    hard, I would work anaerobically. Covert Bailey also says that
    swimming is not aerobic, that it does not burn fat.  I do not believe
    it, I bet some people do exercise aerobically while swimming, that they
    do lose fat.  Actually, the last message said that swimming does not
    burn calories.  That has to be false!  You are expending energy,
    calories have to be geing burned. (right?)
    
    Amy
    
    (sorry for the spelling)

    .6 is a load of tosh. ANY exercise burns calories. Swimming is
    execellent all-round exercise, which needs to be neirther aerobic nor
    anaerobic simply to burn fat.
    
    

re:  .6

>> because we are flamboyant while swimming
                  ^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you, thank you, thank you.....  I'll be smiling at the mental picture
for the rest of the day.  ;-) 

-jer

    By the way, walking is less good than swimming if you are very obese,
    simply because of the strains on ankles and knees.
    
    	- andy

A load of tosh, is it?  So that's what the farmer's been dumping on his corn 
fields!

The successive notes have been absolutely correct.  Swimming DOES burn calories.

What Covert Bailey said was that working the large muscles of the body is best
for metabolizing stored fat.  The largest muscles are the gluteus and hamstrings
or in common terms, butt and thighs.  He goes on to say that getting the upper
body involved will cause fat to be metabolized even better.  As EXAMPLES, he
says that running is better than walking and swinging the arms because of the
intensity.  Swinging the arms is better than not.  He also stated that for some
unknown reason, swimming does not work as well as running for burning stored 
fats.  He did not say that it does not burn calories.

Most of what CB talks about deals with metabolizing fats versus carbos and 
protiens.  He hardly ever talks calories.

The thing to remember is that ANY activity burns calories, even eating and  
digesting (although if you start to rely on these you are in serious trouble).
Activity does not have to be aerobic or anaerobic (yes, these can be better),
it just has to be activity.  So, if you want to start burning more calories, 
but don't have the time/energy to go walking for 10 minutes or more a day, then
start slowly:

park at the far end of any parking lot (work, shopping)
take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator 
if you do house work, make more work by making extra trips carrying less
   each trip (walk more, carry less)
at work, use a bathroom at the far end  of the building or a different floor
take the long way around to get a listing

Every little bit helps.

    Absolutely. Swimming is productive exercise!
    
    	- andy

    re:.6
    
    That's untrue.
    
    Any exercise done at or below the anaerobic intensity level is
    aerobic exercise. When determining if an exercise is aerobic or
    not, all you have to examine is the INTENSITY level.
    
    Walking and swimming can be aerobic, if not done at a high level
    of intensity.
    
    But, I should mention that swimming in cool water is not an efficient
    way to lose fat. Evidence suggests that the body fights the fat loss as
    a natural reaction to the water's temperature.
    
    Fat is a thermal insulator and since swimming in cool water conducts
    heat from the body rapidly, the researchers theorize that this is what
    triggers the body to keep fat stores in place.
    
    If you swim in a heated pool, this isn't a problem.

    
    I just went out and bought a great tape by Jane Fonda. It's called the 
    Easy Going workout. For people who have lower back problems and who
    need to go easy on their joints. It is great!  I prefer a tougher
    workout, but on the days I don't feel like working out to strenuously
    I use this tape. I bought it for $30 at Strawberries.
    
    
    Sandy

Roller Blading is a super way to lose weight!

On rough surfaces, you can lose as much as 1 pound every time you fall!

    JP, that's like donating blood to lose weight!  1 pint of blood = 1 lb!
    :-)  Of course, watch out for the cookies afterwards.... :-)
    
    D!