Gisele Bundchen is not fat! This probably comes as no surprise since Gisele was the wealthiest supermodel in the world in 2007. Most of us would pursue better fitness if we knew we were going to get paid $70 million for it.
But, your overall fitness level greatly impacts every aspect of your life. You may not get seventy million like Gisele Bundchen but you will get a longer lifespan and better quality of life as your fitness level increases.
Virtually everyone knows physical fitness is important. In fact, since 1956 the President of the United States of America has dedicated an organization specifically to youth fitness. The President’s Council on Youth Fitness was founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to address a study that indicated American youth fitness levels were significantly below European fitness levels.
If we want our supermodels like Gisele Bundchen to be fit, the President of the United States thinks it’s important and we even have TV shows like “Biggest Loser” that glorify improving your fitness-why are nearly one in four adults in the U.S. Obese?
Why? Because they’re not having enough fun. By fun I don’t mean watching American Idol while scarfing down pizza and a two liter of Coke. I mean hiking, skiing, rock climbing, snowboarding, football, basketball, etc.
The CDC reports that the percentage of people who report having no leisure-time physical activity is 25.1%. One in four. While coincidence doesn’t guarantee causality-it certainly points a finger that direction.
People who incorporate physical activities into their leisure time will expend more calories and experience higher fitness levels than those that don’t. Recent studies have shown that your weight and corresponding fitness level are largely determined by two factors. First, your calorie intake. Second, your calorie expenditure. Many people find it difficult to decrease caloric intake (hence the plethora of fad diets). An enjoyable, physical leisure activity is a great way to increase your caloric expenditure (equivalent to decreasing your calorie intake) without needing an ounce of self-discipline!
While any physical activity will increase calorie expenditure and improve your fitness level,many physical leisure activities are excellent calorie and fat burners. Snowboarding burns approximately 330 calories per hour and is a great toner and muscle builder. A full day of snowboarding, even allowing for an hour lunch and a few breaks, can burn as much as 2,000 calories. An afternoon of hiking can burn over 1200 calories and just a couple of hours of rock climbing can burn nearly 2,000.
In 2007 $18.5 billion was spent on gym memberships. $18.5 billion was spent by people trying to improve their fitness. A pair of good hiking shoes costs $50. If you want to improve your fitness, lose weight and gain muscle just put down the remote and pick up a few new leisure activities..
