Expert: Jack Rose - 4/25/2008

Question
    Hello, my name is Jessica. I found you on allexperts.com. My P.E homework is to interview someone, and I thought that you might be the one. PLEASE answer the questions down below. I need YOUR opinion on this. YOUR experience ONLY. So, you don't have to answer like an expert, you could answer as if you were talking to a friend!
Here are the questions:
1.In your opinion, how would you stay fit?
2.If you don't exercise after a maintaining regular exercise routine, will you have other problems?
3.What is the best type of exercise that you would recommend and why?
4.Which exercises do you think contributes the best benefit  to your health?
5.When is it hardest for you to stay fit?
6.Do you think it is important to limit yourself to the junk food you eat and why?
7.Before running, what stretches would you do?
8.What is your favorite exercising activity that you like to do?
9.Do you think that different age groups have different ways of staying healthy? Why or why not?
10.Did you ever feel like giving up exercise? Why or why not? If you did, then how did you avoid that?
                          Thank you for your consideration.

Answer
Hi Jessica,   I would be glad to help you.

1. I would focus on my heart since it is the engine that makes everything else work. 3 mile run 4 days a week followed by ten 50 yard sprints. On bad weather days my alternative is swimming and jump rope. Any way you slice it I would get at least 45 minutes of cardio each of those days. On the off days I would be in the weight room. Not to get big and ripped but to maintain my muscle mass, otherwise all that running will make me too thin as it uses up your muscle by burning lots of calories. Pushing and pulling medium to heavy weight helps you sustain muscle mass while you burn calories. The perfect physical speciman in my opinion is having 15 to 20 pounds of muscle over what your ideal weight is on a doctor's chart. That's distributed evenly across my body. For women I think it's 4 to 8 pounds over.

2. Yes, once you get off your routine, it will not take long for your metabolism to slow down. It also changes your energy levels. Inactivity breeds more inactivity. Your cardiovascular system suffers the most and you increase your chances of high blood pressure, cholesterol, stress, weight gain and anxiety.

3. For one single exercise, nothing beats running. It tones your body and keeps your weight under control as well as improves your cardio.

4. Anything improving you cardio. Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. If it doesn't work, nothing else will.

5. Summer. I want to be outside all the time, the thought of being in a gym on a warm sunny day makes me feel like I'm wasting a nice day.
Also, I have to set a goal. In other words, I have to be working out for a reason or I won't go.

6. Yes, junk food will always catch up to you. It is very hard to break the habit once you start eating junk. The sugar may eventually cause diabetes as you grow older. You'll gain weight which caused heart problems, high blood pressure and joint problems.

7. Hamstrings, Quads, calves and upper body.

8. Boxing and weight lifting

9. Yes, It's all about what your goals are. Some people want to build muscle. Others just want to tone. Older folks are focusing on their heart so they mainly do cardio stuff. Younger people want to look buff so the guys try to build muscle and the girls tone up.

10. Not really... but there's been times when I dreaded going to the gym. I was not motivated. I was asking myself why am I doing this... it takes up so much of my day and what am I getting out of it... I have to make sure I'm doing it for me... for instance, many people workout to impress the opposite sex... this is a mistake in my opinion because if that is your goal then what happens when you win your mate?  You will stop working out, mission accomplished so I don't need to do it anymore. You must do it for yourself....to feel good about yourself, to feel healthy and confident.

I hope this helps....  good luck,

Jackson