What the Future Holds
If you could see into the future, chances are very good that you’d see a different shape 10 years from now than what you have today. Why is this? A slow and steady weight gain each year is the norm. Although a gain of 1-2 pounds per year doesn’t sound like much, each decade would bring an extra 10-20 pounds. Waving a magic wand or going on a crash diet to prevent this from happening may serve as a temporary cure, but is certainly not the long-term solution. Regular physical activity and balanced eating is the sustainable way to prevent weight gain or manage your current weight. The reason for this stems partly from the metabolic changes that take place when you exercise.
Metabolism: The Long and Short of It
You may not know the complex details of the metabolic changes that occur but you can certainly feel them. Picture a time that you’ve gone for a walk. Maybe you do this at work on your lunch break or between your daily errands. After walking at work, you most likely come back to your desk to finish off the afternoon. Perhaps for the first few minutes you feel winded and your heart beats faster. You may even have a bit of sweat on your brow. All of these are signs of your metabolism increasing from the exercise. Your body is like a furnace and exercise fuels the fire. More calories are burned, allowing you to better manage your weight.
The long-term metabolic benefits are most obvious when you don’t use your muscles. Muscles tend to waste away with inactivity. This may result from aging or from leading a sedentary lifestyle. Regular exercise, particularly strength training, helps to maintain muscle mass. When comparing muscle to other tissues in your body, it burns more calories. So, over the long haul, holding on to all the muscle you have will ensure that your metabolism is maximized. Not only will you be stronger but managing your weight will be easier with plenty of calorie-burning muscle mass.
Some people use exercise as a license to eat whatever they want. Researchers are presently investigating how much people eat based on whether or not they have exercised. Caution may need to be used when it comes to exercise and weight management. Contrary to what some people believe, exercise does not give you the license to eat as much as you want. It is certainly not the green light to nibble away on snack foods or other empty calories just because you “worked-out”. You will be surprised to know that most exercise may only entitle you to an extra 200-300 calories a day. This is equivalent to an apple and a ¼ cup of nuts or an extra bowl of whole grain cereal. It is important to remember that managing weight involves both moving your body and making healthy food choices.