Weight-bearing activities that work against gravity — aerobic activities like walking, running, cross-country skiing, dancing, skating and stair-climbing — use proportionately more calories at a given level of effort than swimming, cycling or water aerobics.

The more muscle groups involved in your activities, the more calories you are likely to burn. That is why working out against gravity uses more calories than non-weight-bearing activities. On the other hand, because activities like swimming put less stress on weight-bearing joints, many people can do them for longer periods, making up for the lower caloric burn.

If your workout includes hills (real ones or on exercise equipment), you will use more calories per minute than doing the same activity on level ground. But if you engage in resistance exercises — working out with weights or on machines that strengthen various muscle groups — you may gain several pounds of muscle that partly offset the loss of body fat.

In other words, you may lose fewer pounds than if you expended the same number of calories on an aerobic activity (cardio) like brisk walking or swimming, but you will be stronger and better toned. With greater muscle mass, your basic metabolic rate will rise and you will burn more calories all day and night. And since muscle holds less water and takes up less room than the equivalent weight of fat, by shedding fat and gaining muscle you can lose inches and sizes without losing actual pounds on the scale.

Keep in mind, though, that the time spent doing resistance exercise burns fewer calories than if the same time were spent on aerobic activities (cardio).

If you have a fitness question, send them to Matt!

If you’re in a Chicago this weekend, it’s a good time to pull out your running shoes and gym clothes.

Tomorrow is Chicago’s fifth annual Chicago Moves Day. The event is sponsored by the Mayor’s Fitness Council, and dedicates an afternoon to encouraging Chicagoans to live a healthy lifestyle.

At the event you’ll find area fitness trainers, fitness classes for all ages, health screenings and more, or start the day with a 5k Run. The two-hour event is broken into 10 minute exercise segments, with classes like Firefighters workout with the Chicago Fire Department, Arthritis Exercise Class from the Arthritis Foundation and a Kids Cardio Kickbox.

Then, Saturday you can attend the final Self Magazine Workout in the Park. The event is similar to the one that took place in Central Park last week, just without the special appearance by Jillian (see our coverage). The cost is $25 at Lincoln Park, Grove 8, from 11am-3pm.

Whether you’re in Chicago or not, the 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week that the Mayor’s Fitness Council recommends is an ideal way to incorporate more physical activity into your daily life. Ride a bike, take the stairs, walk the dog or swim laps- it all counts!

I told you’d there would be new things happening at Diets In Review. One of which will be a new segment in the Diet Blog called “Food Finds”. These will be healthy alternatives to some of the foods we love and crave. I’ll only post them if I’ve tried them myself and they promise to be something I will eat again. I mean, if you can convince a picky eater like me to dig in to something new, you’ve probably got a winner.

First up, Stacy’s Pita Chips. I’m not lying when I tell you chips are possibly my biggest vice. Nacho cheese, BBQ, plain – you name it, I can polish off a bag without even thinking twice. So I’ve been on a mission to replace these chips, or rather, that crunch that accompanies my sandwiches.

I found Stacy’s Pita Chips and I think this is where I’m going to stay. The calories and fat are both lower than regular chips, and they have more fiber. I won’t lie, not the impressive amount I’d hoped for. They also have 3 Weight Watchers Points per serving, for those of you counting.

I tried the Naked with Sea Salt and the Cinnamon Sugar. They are fantastic, super crunchy, delicious flavor and they go well with my sandwich. These pita chips are baked and proudly boast that they are all-natural.

Finishing off a whole bag still won’t do me any favors, but I can satisfy my need for crunch and not feel so bad about it.

Nutrition Facts from CalorieKing.com.

Physical Fitness consists of five basic components which involve the heart, lungs, strength, endurance, and flexibility.

1. Cardiorespiratory or “Cardio”

The ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It reflects how well your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise.

2. Muscular Endurance

The ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. An example of this would be performing a particular exercise 20 to 30 times consecutively without stopping.

3. Muscular Strength

The ability to exert maximum force, such as lifting the heaviest weight one time. It is possible to have muscular strength in one area, say your arms, while lacking strength in another area, such as your legs. Find that happy medium.

4. Flexibility

The ability to move a joint through its full range of motion; the elasticity of the muscle. This is how limber or supple you are.

5. Body Composition

The proportion of fat in your body compared to your bone and muscle. It does not refer to your weight in pounds or your figure.

See all of Matt’s Fitness Tips.

We want to share your hard work and success with everyone! Send your weight loss success story in 500 words or less along with your before and after pictures to be entered to win a signed copy of Jorge Cruise’s 12 Second Sequence.

We’re creating a space on DietsInReview.com to celebrate your successes, and soon you’ll find your photos and stories there. The winner will be announced in newsletter #5, June 10.

Email your success story and photos to contest@dietsinreview.com to be eligible to win!

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