Have you ever read an article on weight loss that claimed you could lose weight just by exercising? Did it seem too good to be true? After all, doesn’t lose weight involve burning more calories than you consume? Why would exercise help with weight loss if it doesn’t burn calories? This article explores whether exercise helps with weight loss. It covers common misconceptions about how exercise affects weight loss and how to tell if your approach to weight loss through exercise is working or not.
Calories Burned Versus Calories Consumed
Exercise can indeed help you burn more calories, but a fit body doesn’t always mean a healthy one. For example, working out while suffering from an illness or injury may slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight. Additionally, if you aren’t getting enough nutrients (think protein and carbs) in your diet, then your body will use muscle tissue as fuel—which won't help you lose weight or build muscle. Most importantly though: while exercise is great for burning calories and fat, getting up off of your chair and moving is what helps shed pounds long-term. That said...
The Truth About BMR
Many experts believe that an important component of weight loss is a metabolic rate (or Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR), which is a measurement of how many calories your body burns at rest. If you're trying to lose weight, it makes sense to assume that a faster metabolic rate would help with fat burning. But just how much exercise do you need to get there? Well, if you look around online, you'll find a huge amount of conflicting information and studies touting different conclusions on this issue. This creates confusion for consumers and even health professionals who all want one thing: answers! We've done some digging and compiled all of our findings here in hopes of cutting through some confusion about exercise and its role in weight loss.
Is Exercise Addiction Real?
Health experts agree that an unhealthy relationship with food is a problem—one that needs treatment. But is there such a thing as an exercise addiction? Critics argue that calling exercise addictive sets us up for failure since no one can be addicted to something like running or weight lifting. Those critics also claim it's not useful to label exercise as addictive since it doesn't contribute to long-term weight loss, among other things. Studies show that extreme forms of exercise and sports may lead to eating disorders—not healthy eating habits or optimal weight loss. This leads many researchers and health professionals to believe that extreme sports shouldn't be considered part of a healthy diet plan for maintaining your ideal body weight and overall fitness level.
How Much Activity Should I Be Doing Every Day?
To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. To do that, create a calorie deficit by increasing your physical activity and decreasing your food intake. If you need help figuring out how much exercise is enough to lose weight, check out our guide on calories burned versus calories consumed. A simple way to estimate your daily caloric expenditure is 10x bodyweight (in pounds) - 500 x the number of workouts per week.
If I Exercise, Should I Still Count Calories or Count Macros Instead?
Both calorie counting and macro counting are tools used to track your diet and get a sense of whether you're eating too much or too little. While they're useful, both have drawbacks—and if you exercise a lot, they might even be counterproductive. That's because tracking what you eat while also trying to stay active enough can take up time that could otherwise be spent improving your fitness levels. The only way to know for sure whether you should count calories or macros (or neither) is to experiment for yourself! There's no one-size-fits-all approach; just do what feels right given your schedule and lifestyle. If you find that being diligent about calories makes it hard to fit in workouts, consider using macros as a tool instead of giving up on them entirely.
How Much Cardio Should I Do to Lose Weight Quickly?
The amount of exercise you should do to burn fat depends on your individual needs. Some people lose weight and keep it off by doing 30-60 minutes of cardio daily, while others might need more or less. Don't worry about hitting a specific target though; as long as you're exercising often enough to boost your metabolism and burn calories, you're on track. If you struggle with motivation, find ways to make exercise a fun part of your life that's different from other routines. For example, start a walking club or join a group focused on healthy lifestyles—this will give you an excuse to leave your house and get active with like-minded individuals.
What's the Best Way to Get Started?
The answer to that question depends on who you are and what you want. If you want to lose weight, studies show that just getting off your duff and moving around will help. And it doesn't have to be complicated: A 2012 Mayo Clinic study found that people who did a series of high-intensity moves—burpees, jump squats, mountain climbers, etc.—for 20 minutes three times a week lost an average of 7 pounds in 12 weeks. The researchers also noticed significant reductions in body fat (particularly for women) without any changes in diet or behaviour (either way is fine). As far as exercise goes, focus on full-body movements that will push all your muscles and joints through their range of motion for maximum calorie burn with minimal joint impact.