Eat well or exercise more. Which do you choose?
Although there are plenty of people who exercise for reasons other than health and wellness, most likely exercise for health benefits such as weight loss or long-term weight management. Most people know that if you burn more calories than you consume you will lose weight. This is so because your body relies on stored fat for energy resulting in weight loses. However, gutting your diet to too few calories or nutrients can be unhealthy—even dangerous. Likewise, exercising too much can cause injury or other serious health issues. Balance is the key ingredient to losing weight without losing your health.
Benefits of a Healthy Diet
You already know that there are many benefits from a healthy diet: they are numerous. According to Readers Digest people who eat a healthy diet are likely to live longer, and prevent or eradicate many types of illness to include certain cancers, high cholesterol, and blood pressure, while also reducing your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. In addition to the health benefits previously mentioned, a well-balanced diet can increase the function of the brain, your immunity systems ability to fight disease and overall emotional health.
Benefits of Regular Exercise
Exercise is an important ingredient to living a healthy lifestyle. According to Women’s Health magazine, exercise has a greater impact on an individual’s energy level because the brain releases dopamine and norepinephhrine—both neurotransmitters, which accounts for the increased energy most people who exercise regularly experience. Exercise also benefits the prevention of diabetes slightly more so than diet, although combining both is best. An active lifestyle fuels muscles with glucose in the bloodstream, stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Exercise Myths
Exercising regularly is important for many health reasons as stated above, although losing weight may be the primary reason or motivator for the average person. However, exercise can sabotage weight loss efforts if you are not careful. The reality is exercise does not burn as many calories as most think. For example, running for one-hour burns approximately 470 calories, 45 minutes on your favorite elliptical burns approximately 500 calories. Additionally, people might consume sports drinks, bars, or candies to fuel their workout, often adding more calories than they burn. Finally, some will reward themselves with high calories treats for exercise they did, adding even more calories. Often, the reason most people give up on exercise is they gain weight; not lose it. The quotient is out-of-whack.
Conclusion
According to the American Council on Exercise, a healthy diet and regular exercise work together for effective weight lose and long-term maintenance. The diet aspect determines how much weight is lost, and the exercise aspect keeps it off. A survey of successful dieters showed 89 percent used the diet and exercise combination to lose weight and kept it off for more than one year. ACE suggests simply reducing your serving portions by 10 to 15 percent daily while exercising 30 to 60-minutes a day, most days of the week.
Gregg Seltzer is a certified triathlon, swim, cycling, and track coach with www.triabilitycoaching.com based in Southern California. He may be contacted for questions, comments, coaching or just to say hello at 800-884-2194 or gregg@triabilitycoaching.com.
