Exercise ≠ Weight Loss Ticket. Yet, Exercise = World’s Best Drug?!?!

The notion that exercise is the ticket to the weight loss express still prevails. Unfortunately, looking at long-term studies, exercise does not drive weight as it ‘should’ (= as it is perceived or believed).  Why is that? A few reasons…

• People eat back their exercise. A little extra dish or drink because they have moved their fannies. We’ve been told to refuel, so eat away. That is true to elite athletes doing endurance sports. Chances are most people don’t need to do any of that. I certainly do not.
• The concept of constrained energy expenditure is interesting. Recent research (http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(15)01577-8) looked at the impact amount of exercise has on total number of calories burned in a day. It suggests that the more exercise we do, the more our bodies slow down during down time. This might explains why people who hit the gym really hard are NOT seeing results they want. This might discourage people from exercising. The indirect benefits of exercise to diet and weight management is significant. That include blood sugar and insulin management, energy level, sleep, hormone balance, brain and digestive health. These benefits will in turn drive dietary changes more.  Think about the overall health benefits thousands of people of join the gym every January and leave it a couple of months later are missing out because their driver is weight loss!

• The notion that more muscles we have, more calories we burn. That is true but it seems highly overrated…isn’t a fair fight. World-renowned exercise physiologist Claude Bouchard went on record to say, “Skeletal muscle burns about 13 calories per kilogram of body weight over 24 hours when a person is at rest.″ In other words, Bouchard ascribes the resting metabolic requirement for 1 pound of muscle at less than 6 calories per day. He also states that, “Weight lifting has virtually no effect on resting metabolism.”.

  Let’s say one gains 15 pounds of muscles while shedding 15 pounds of fat, one might be burning an extra 90 calories only or a couple of oreo cookies. So well, well…are there any benefits to increasing skeletal muscle percentage? You bet!  I can address another day.

I say, let’s rebrand the role of exercise. From weight loss and management ticket to overall health management ticket. Understanding its indirect benefits to diet and weight management might help people building a long lasting relationship with it, making it part of their lifestyle forever!

Would you like to learn more and techniques how to apply all this? Tired of procrastinating? YOUR health is the only one you got!  Reach out and let’s get started. 

Four Tabatas = Energy Boost = Moving Fanny Works!

It was one of those days. I went to the gym not really certain whether I should have gone. My body and mind were feeling a little tired and it was my forth day in a row working out. I considered going because it was a tabata of movements I feel very comfortable with and there was not heavy lifting involved. Otherwise, it would NOT have been a good idea. Tired body during technical lifts can lead to injury instantaneously and in the long term.

A Special Loving Reminder

Four minutes into the routine and I was reminded why I love to move my fanny and encourage everyone to do the same and become a personal trainer as well. Total workout lasted 18 minutes. I was sweating like if I had just left a shower and fully energetic.

Full Mixed Tabata*
•Box Jumps (20 inches)
•GHD Sit Ups