extreme sports can help you lose weight fast

Losing weight has been a struggle for most people. Some are willing to invest on fitness packages, though costly, with an assurance of successfully losing weight. Others modify their diet, either by being calorie conscious or organic, as promoted by reliable nutritionists and celebrities who have undergone the method. These schemes, with commitment and diligence, can successfully lose weight but will take time. Because of wanting to lose weight faster, some have resorted to taking up slimming medicines which has unclear long term effects. People who want to lose weight fast and have the guts to face the tremendous challenges while enjoying the thrill and excitement of the activity take extreme sports. Experts have revealed that these intense activities burn calories in great amounts that contribute to loss of weight in a short period of time compared to those offered in fitness centers.

photo courtesy of karl h. epp  www.cebu-travel.com

People who love the water can do a number of water sports such as going sailing, windsurfing or simple surfing which can help burn around 200 calories an hour. Those who have the taste for a more extreme activity can do whitewater rafting to burn as much as 350 calories per hour. Those who love exploring the world’s magnificent corals and marine resources can benefit 350 calories an hour of burnt calories from snorkeling. Those who go to the depths doing scuba diving profit more at 500 calories and hour.

There are also a number of activities for individuals who prefer to be on land such as skateboarding that can burn as much as 350 calories an hour or skating that can burn more calories at 500 an hour. Those who love bikes burn 280 calories an hour in motor-cross while those who love cars can go drag racing and lose 420 calories an hour. Going up the heights can achieve not just the glory of conquering the peak but also of burning calories. While going up in rock climbing, as much as 750 calories an hour is burned; while, going rappelling down can cut down 500 calories an hour.

Those who seek more than the thrill of going up the heights can do extreme sports in the air like sky diving or hang gliding to lose as much as 245 calories per hour. However, lower energy is exerted because most of the work is due to gravity and not of the body’s efforts.

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The change of season to winter is not a hindrance to extreme sports because there are a number of activities during this period. Its cold atmosphere favors those who want to burn those calories faster because the body works extra to keep itself warm and every activity requires exertion of more effort. Activities like snowboarding can burn as much as 500 calories an hour while downhill skill can lose as much as 700 calories an hour. Cross country skiing which requires a bit more effort compared to the two activities can help the individual lose up to 1,000 calories an hour.

It should be noted that the number of calories burned is influenced by body weight and dependent on the effort that the person devotes to the activity.

Losing weight through extreme sports, like those programs in fitness centers, cannot happen overnight. Desperation to lose weight as a motivation to do extreme sports is not enough. Extreme sports are not for the faint of heart. From its name alone, these activities are quite challenging and involve facing your fears. Passion, courage, and diligence are requirements to continually involve in these activities and see its results. When doing extreme sports, the most important thing is to enjoy the challenge and adventure and have fun.

obesity is dangerous for your health

Obesity is one of society’s prevailing problems. The World Health Organization projected in that in 2005 at least 400 million adults in the world were obese. Obesity is a medical condition where fat has excessively accumulated in the body. To determine obesity, a measurement called Body Mass Index (BMI) is used. BMI compares how much a person weighs in relation to height. Those with a BMI greater than 30 kg/m2 are considered obese while those with BMI between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2 are considered slightly obese or commonly referred as overweight. Those who are significantly obese were estimated to number 1.6 billion worldwide in 2005.

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Obesity leads to unfavorable effects in health such as coronary heart disease which originated from the accumulated fat in the body that strained the heart and surrounding organs and body systems necessary for body support. The fats hindered the proper flow of blood and resulted to inadequate blood circulation. The occurrence of coronary heart disease in a person together with high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure greatly increases the chance of having a stroke. Stroke is a hemorrhagic condition due to an obstructed blood vessel in the brain or leading to the brain. Stroke can either cause paralysis or death. Estimates reveal that cardiovascular diseases claim an annual number of 18 million lives worldwide.

There are complications that arise in the reproductive and endocrine systems of the body because of obesity. Some of these include diabetes, menstrual disorders, pregnancy difficulties, birth defects and infertility. Being obese also results in poor mobility, back pains, and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the consequence of the heavy pressure on joints that wore away its protective cartilages. Physical discomfort is common to obese individuals because the accumulated fat crowded the spaces occupied by body organs and resulted to difficulty in sitting, walking or even breathing.

Probably one of the serious illnesses due to obesity, aside from heart diseases, is cancer. Some forms of cancer observed in people who are obese include breast, ovarian, colon, endometrial, pancreatic, liver and gallbladder. It is estimated that around 7.6 million people across the globe die annually because of cancer.

Obesity causes emotional pain and suffering to an individual. They are often ridiculed or being laughed at whether in their presence or behind their back. Others face discrimination in the access to important life opportunities like getting a job since obese individuals are usually viewed as lazy and unproductive people. Due to these emotional challenges they face every day, they often succumb to depression and feel sorry for themselves, their look, and plunge into self-doubt and isolation. There are many other complications due to obesity that point out its negative effects to the individual and make it clear that there is nothing good that can be derived from being obese.

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Even with many problems due to obesity, it is not without a cure. Because obesity is gaining in weight and accumulating fats, the obvious remedy is to lose weight. There are a number of ways to lose weight – proper exercise, diet and healthy lifestyle. Appropriate physical workout sheds stored fats and helps restore it to its normal beneficial state of providing thermal isolation to the body and protection of internal organs. Right diet and a healthy lifestyle help the individual limit the intake of food that hastens weight gain and excessive accumulation of fats.

However, losing weight is easier said than done. An individual must develop commitment and discipline to diligently and consistently undergo through the necessary process to lose weight. The only obstacle to losing weight is the individual’s resolve to lose weight but, when an obese person is determined, he can successfully lose weight.

a passion for travel

The exploration of new places and taking time to pause and marvel at the magnificence of nature has always fascinated me while I was growing up. Most of my hours were spent in going around farms close to our home, climbing trees, collecting bugs from bushes, catching sleeping birds at night, and catching fish from rivers in our small village.

While I was in my elementary years of schooling, my parents gave me a bicycle. I was overjoyed and would spend a lot of time with it to be more skilled in biking. When I was able, I would spend my free time and weekends biking and venturing to the villages close by. I discovered more amazing sights to see – rivers, farms, watersheds, hanging bridges, and many more.

When I entered high school, I began learning how to drive a motorcycle. After I got my license, I explored the towns next to our city and visited their unique highlights – colorful reefs, historic sites and churches, and the awesome and beautiful landscapes. With other opportunities to travel, such as visit to relatives, I was able to visit all the coastal towns and cities in the two provinces of our big island plus a number of major cities and towns in nearby islands of our region.  

While I was pursuing a degree in college, my passion to seeing new places was not put on hold. The university I was enrolled in was located on a different island more than a hundred miles away from home. I was on a new place. There were new sights to discover and new adventures to be pursued. The school was located in a remote town. It was far from the urban centers so visit to malls were not that frequent. Instead, I spent it visiting far-flung barangays situated a few mountains away and were only accessible by motorcycle plus a few hours walk. My other escapades gave me a chance to swim in the middle of the sea (during nighttime) with a depth I dare not measure. I was also able to enjoy a spectacular sunset in one of the world’s superb white sand beaches. In the nearby province, I had the opportunity to trek a rugged trail then hiked through a dried river bed and concluded it with a bath in a cold pool near a marvelous waterfall.

There are many more wonderful and memorable adventures I have been to. Even as a working professional, I am glad to have not been confined to a cubicle in an air-conditioned office. My work has allowed me to travel to a number of destinations and see new places. I never cease to be excited and look forward to every trip because it has always been my passion to travel.