There are two widely accepted ways to lose weight. One is dieting. The other is exercise. Although most people understand that exercise can contribute to your weight-loss efforts, not everybody knows how it does this. Understanding how it does this can help you fine-tune your workouts to improve your weight-loss results.
Weight-Loss Basics
Losing weight is a matter of applied physics. If you eat more calories than you burn, your body stores the extra energy as fat. If you burn more calories than you eat, your body burns fat to make up the difference. As it burns that fat, you lose weight. Both of the main methods for losing weight use this process. Diet reduces your calorie intake until it's below your daily consumption. Exercise accomplishes it by raising your daily consumption until it exceeds your calories taken in.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise elevates your heart rate over an extended period. This long, slow exertion burns the most calories of the main kinds of exercise. You can get a short-term cardiovascular workout--such as from wind sprints--but without the prolonged exercise period, the direct calorie burn is limited. Examples of cardiovascular exercise include swimming, running, walking, cycling and many group fitness classes.
Resistance Training
Resistance training builds muscle by adding weight to muscles during their normal range of motion. Working under the extra strain, the muscles form microscopic tears then heal back stronger and thicker. Resistance training doesn't burn calories at the same fast rate as cardiovascular exercise. However, it does build muscle. Muscular bodies burn more calories in all activities than fatty bodies--meaning resistance training can help you burn more calories even while you're sleeping or watching TV. Popular resistance exercises include weight lifting and body weight exercises like calisthenics and yoga.
Metabolism
Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. All exercise burns calories directly during the exertion. However, exercise also boosts your metabolism for several hours after the workout. This is because your body suffers microscopic injuries and depletes stores of vital biochemicals during your workout. As your body works to mend the damage and replenish supplies, it's working harder--and thus burning more calories than it would if you hadn't exercised.
References
- Mayo Clinic: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
- "Body for Life"; Bill Philips; 2006
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Dr. Mehmet Oz; 2006
Member Comments