An important part of any complete weight-loss plan is regular exercise. For healthy adults who are younger than 65, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of two and a half hours of moderate exercise or one hour of vigorous exercise per week, plus a strength-training regimen. These guidelines will help you maintain weight, but to drop pounds, you may have to exercise more.
Calorie Burn
Weight loss boils down a very simple equation: if you burn more calories than you take in, you will eventually lose weight. Physical activity burns more calories than rest, so if you exercise every day, you'll burn a greater number of calories on a daily basis. Additionally, exercising helps burn calories from extra food you eat. So if you're following a healthy diet and happen to trip up or indulge in a special treat, exercising can negate those extra calories.
Metabolism
The Mayo Clinic recognizes a close link between metabolism, daily activity levels and, by extension, weight loss. In most cases, people who seem to have higher metabolisms and burn more calories are actually just very physically active. Daily exercise can help raise your metabolism and keep it at a healthy level, but it's also important for controlling how your body regularly uses and burns calories.
Muscle Definition
Daily exercise tones, strengthens and defines muscles, which makes for a good all-around physique. If you begin a weight loss plan that doesn't include exercise, you won't enjoy the same benefits of muscle tone and definition, and even if you do lose weight, your body shape may not appear any different.
Lifestyle Change
Daily exercise is a serious commitment that inspires a positive lifestyle change in many areas, which ultimately makes it easier to lose weight. When you become more active, you often begin to crave better foods and even more exercise because your body grows used to a healthier lifestyle. The change can be so dramatic that when you do eat something unhealthy or go a few days without exercising, you may begin to feel sick.
Health Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, daily exercise helps you sleep better, improves your mood, boosts your energy level and reduces your risk of disease in addition to promoting weight loss. Obese and overweight people suffer an increased risk of many health problems, including stroke, diabetes and heart disease. As you exercise daily and your weight begins to go down, your risk for all of these conditions decreases.
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