Exercise Physiologist - Weight Loss

Obesity is quickly becoming one of the leading health conditions in Australia where over 6 million people, aged 18 and over, are obese. Obesity in children has also increased at a substantial rate. It is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. It is a significant risk factor of many chronic diseases such as:

• Diabetes

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Different forms of cancer

• Hypertension

• Osteoarthritis

• Gall Bladder disease

• Liver and Kidney disease

• Sleep apnoea

• Depression

Obesity can be well managed through healthy lifestyle changes such as finding a healthy diet you can stick to and regular exercise. Exercise has many benefits in helping obesity such as:

• Weight loss

• Increased muscle mass

• Improved metabolic rate aiding in energy expenditure

• Improve quality of life

• Improve active daily living

• Better hormonal control Eg, Leptin, which is the hormone regulating energy expenditure and controls hunger. Leptin resistance may develop in people who are obese.

• Reduce risk of chronic illnesses

It is always recommended to start with light exercises but do it frequently to build up to a higher intensity and frequency. It’s recommended to exercise at a moderate intensity for more than or equal to 150 minutes/week of aerobic exercise (eg, 30 minutes of walking 5 times a week) with 2 days of resistance training. Our exercise physiologist can discuss with you which exercises will suit you best in order to keep you consistent without injuring yourself.

Diet plays a very important role in weight loss. Our dietitians can help you create a nutritionally adequate plan so you can lose weight and keep it off in combination with healthy exercise and physical activity.