There are a multitude of diet plans out there. But, one thing most diets have in common is the idea of reduced calories ingested should cause you to loose weight over time, But, many people don’t realize that one of the main reasons that these diets fail in the long term, is that they haven’t included exercise as part of their weight loss plan. Here’s some reasons why loosing weight requires exercise.
What are calories?
The definition of a calorie is the amount of energy to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water, by 1 degree celsius. In other words, a calorie is the measure of energy released by food when you eat it. And, that measure is in the form of heat. Now, your body stores excess calories not burned by your body’s metabolic process as fat. And, the general rule is 1 lb. of fat equals 3,500 calories. So, if you decrease what you eat by 500 calories a day, that’s 1 lb of fat your body will need to burn to meet its metabolic needs, causing you to loose that 1 lb of fat per week. Sounds easy, right? Just eat less, and you’ll loose weight. That’s where the idea of most diets come from.
Why do diets start out working well, then stop working?
The idea of just cutting back and loosing weight until you hit your target weight sounds great. But, the human body has an amazing ability to adapt. What happens as you loose weight, is your body doesn’t have to work as hard to move around. Less effort, means less movement, less energy is burned. So as you loose weight, your body needs less calories to operate. So, the amount of food that once resulted in weight loss, now becomes the amount of food that only maintains that weight.
How do you keep the fat-burning machine going?
This is the exact reason why exercise during a weight loss program is so important – since your metabolism slows down as you loose weight, you need to boost your metabolism through exercise.
What are the best ways to exercise to boost your metabolism?
There are two ways exercise – cardio training, or strength training. Cardio training, whether running, cycling, using a treadmill, or rowing – these examples of cardio are a great way to boost your metabolism. Cardio workouts done at a moderate intensity, on a regular basis, are great ways to burn fat. Strength training helps you to add muscle – additional muscle on your body means there’s more there to burn fat with – which also boosts your metabolism. A good exercise program has both strength and cardio components to it. Strong muscles and connective tissues work to prevent injury during your cardio programs, and a regular cardio program helps build endurance to help you through your weight training programs.
And, one of the best ways to make sure you get regular exercise for your weight loss program is to make exercise as convenient as possible – and working out in the comfort of your own home is the best way to accomplish this! Visit any of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s 3 Valley locations to see what strength and cardio equipment would be perfect for your home gym!
