According to the Mayo Clinic, weight loss comes down to just one process: burning more calories than we consume. Since we need to eat throughout the day to maintain our metabolism and keep a constant supply of energy, being active and exercising is the most significant way we can ensure that we burn those extra calories and work toward losing weight healthfully.
Calorie Burn
The Mayo Clinic reports that you need to burn approximately 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose one pound, and moderate or vigorous aerobic activity is a prime way to burn a high number of calories in a short amount of time. With just a healthy diet and no exercise, it's very difficult to lose the same amount of weight as you can when you utilize aerobic activity. Even 10 to 20 minutes per day of biking, jogging, walking or other aerobic exercise can make a huge difference in weight-loss results.
Physical Results
Toning and exercising for a better figure is equally important for weight loss. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, toning and strengthening muscles through exercise results in a higher net calorie burn, because metabolically active muscle burns far more calories than fat tissue in the body. The U.S. National Library of Medicine notes that the calorie-burning process continues for strong muscles even when they are at rest. If you focus on a healthy diet and choose not to incorporate strength or aerobic exercises into your routine, you won't enjoy the same calorie-burning benefits.
Health Reasons
Exercise improves your overall health, which in turn makes it easier to keep weight off and inspire a better lifestyle. The Mayo Clinic reports that regular exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancers and a number of other serious health problems. Overweight people are subject to an increased risk of the same health issues, so exercise serves the dual purpose of stimulating weight loss and cutting the risk of disease.
Energy Cycle
According to the Cleveland Clinic, regular exercise considerably boosts endurance and elevates your energy level. Shortly after you begin an exercise routine, you should notice that you feel stronger, can handle more intense moves and have more energy than you did before. Your increased energy and endurance will in turn inspire you to be more active throughout your day, which is an essential part of keeping extra weight off and maintaining a healthy body.
Motivating Diet
If you don't exercise regularly, it may be difficult to combat cravings for unhealthy, high-fat or high-calorie food. Since diet and exercise go hand in hand to help motivate weight loss, practicing a regular exercise routine can stimulate physical and internal changes that will result in craving a healthier diet and feeling more full and satisfied after enjoying a well-balanced and properly portioned meal. A healthy body can feel the ill effects of eating poor food very quickly, so as your body gets more and more in shape, you'll want to eat foods that are better for you.
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