Intentional weight gain varies from person to person --- gaining weight might more difficult for you than others, or vice versa. The LifeTips website warns against gaining weight too fast, explaining that a gain of 2 to 3 pounds per week is sensible and healthy. While exercise may seem contradictory to gaining weight, it plays a vital role in your overall health and is not just way to lose weight. Consult your doctor before beginning any weight-gain or exercise program.
Exercises
Exercise is not just a means of weight loss. It brings many other benefits --- including for individuals who are trying to gain weight. Exercise can help prevent obesity as you try to gain weight. Exercise can also help reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Exercise can also help to improve your flexibility, increase your endurance and build muscle strength. By exercising, you can also increase your emotional well-being by reducing feelings of stress, depression and anxiety. Building healthy muscles, joints and bones can also help reduce your risk of injury while exercising.
Exercise Recommendations
The American Heart Association recommends that individuals participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. This exercise should be moderately to vigorously intense. Moderately intense workouts cause an elevated pulse rate and a light sweat, but you should be able to carry on a conversation while participating. Moderately intense exercises include brisk walking, stair climbing, housework, aerobics and dancing. Vigorous workouts also cause you to break a sweat and your pulse to increase, but during this type of exercise it will likely be difficult for you to carry on a conversation. Exercises include running, jogging, rowing, biking, swimming and participation in sports.
Weight Gain
Intentional weight gain is a process that involves planning and executing a diet and exercise program aimed at increasing your total body weight. Weight gain should ideally come from eating a high-calorie, healthy diet and increasing your physical activity levels to include strength-training exercises, such as weightlifting or resistance exercises. As you build body fat and muscle, exercise can help you to maintain a toned appearance. Always consult your doctor before beginning an intentional weight-gain program.
High-Calorie Diet
A high-calorie diet is an important aspect in gaining weight. LifeTips suggests you increase your caloric intake by around 1,000 calories daily. This does not mean, however, that you should eat a diet consistently high in fat. Healthy foods, including lean meats, fruits and vegetables, should make up the vast majority of those calories. You can also use a weight-gain supplement, with your doctor's approval, as a snack to help speed the process. For best results in gaining weight, avoid skipping meals.
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