Lexington, KY - There is a misconception out there that exercising regularly guarantees that you will not be overweight, or that you will lose weight. The truth is regular exercise is the best way to maintain your body weight. That may not sound great, but it's a pretty good perk for working out regularly. Don't forget that most Americans gain 1 -
three pounds a year, so if you begin a good regular exercise program and stop that trend, you can avoid gaining 10 -
30 pounds over the next 10 years. I know it doesn't seem like weight loss, but not putting weight on is just as good in my book.
Doing the right kind, and amount, of exercise is crucial to losing weight. The first thing I would suggest is to turn down the intensity of your workouts. Yes, I really said that: Stop trying to kill yourself in every workout. Your body burns fat more efficiently and in greater percentages when you exercise at a slow, steady pace, such as walking. Working out at a high intensity yields improvements in overall fitness and increases in muscle tone, but is not associated with significant weight loss.
Scientifically speaking, there are many variables at play that influence the amount of fat that is burned while you work out, but for the purposes of the average person who wants to lose weight, the most efficient rule I can offer is this: walking miles equals losing weight.
Exercisers are not taxed when they walk, as they are when they run or push themselves in a class. This more laid back pace often allows walkers to accumulate more miles, and to burn more calories than they would with high intensity activity. If someone runs hard for two miles, they are sweaty, tired and panting when they are done. If someone walks for four or five miles at a leisurely pace, they aren't taxed and, depending on the weather, may not even be sweating.
Slowing down the pace of the exercise also allows your body to burn fat more easily. When you are working out at a high intensity, your body has to use a readily available form of energy which is stored directly in the muscle -
sugar (or glucose). You are still burning calories, but your body is not working the fat-burning machine. If you only burn sugar, then after the activity your body will ask you to replace it by giving you a feeling of hunger. When you burn a high percentage of fat, like when you walk, and do not drop your blood sugar levels, that feeling of hunger isn't felt and leads to eating less.
Burning more fat and eating less is a great combination to move the scales.
Of course, how much food you consume is a key component in weight loss. You can out eat any exercise program, no matter the intensity.
My message to you is this: if you want to lose weight, then shake up your current routine. Either replace or add some long, slow walks as part of your cardiovascular exercise. If you are currently a walker, try adding a long walk (six miles or more) to your routine once a week and integrate walking into your daily routine, such as to the grocery store or on the golf course. Use a pedometer to track the total number of miles you walk during a day and see if you can get to 30 miles or more in a week. If you don't want to use a pedometer to help you calculate daily activity mileage, be sure to work in at least 20 miles into your weekly exercise routine.
High intensity workouts are great for improving fitness and can make you feel great, but they may not get you where you want to be on the scales. It's a balance of both high and low intensity that is the best program.