Exactly Why Cardio Is Crucial
Exactly Why Cardio Is Crucial
When most people decide they want to lose fat, the first thing they usually do is look for a fad diet. But these fad diets don't work nearly every time (95%). The lack of regular physical activity is the main reason they don't work. Fat loss can only occur when caloric intake is reduced. To rephrase, for fat storage to become an energy source, calorie expenditure must exceed food intake. It starts out easy enough, but things get trickier. You can achieve a calorie deficit in two ways. Reducing caloric intake is the initial step. One more is to burn more calories through physical activity. Combining the two is the surest approach to lose weight without failing due to a plateau. Reduce your caloric intake and increase your caloric expenditure. When you attempt to achieve a calorie deficit solely by consuming fewer calories, your body will enter a "starvation mode"—a protective mechanism likely inherited from an era when food was truly scarce—and slow down its metabolism in preparation for a period of low food intake. A slower metabolism is one of the body's defense mechanisms against nutritional deprivation, which also serves to save the brain. Glucose, which are actually carbohydrates found in the body, is essential for brain function at all times; yet, glucose cannot be stored by the body. Consequently, the body can only obtain glucose by consuming its own muscle, which decreases the metabolism and triggers the hunger response (since muscle can be converted to glucose). Thus, by consuming its own muscle, the body achieves a double whammy: first, it supplies glucose to the brain; second, it reduces your appetite, as a lower metabolism is associated with less muscle. Fat loss stalls and fad diets fail when the hunger response kicks in.
Maintaining a healthy metabolic rate becomes second nature when exercise is a regular part of your regimen. Your body will tell you, "Hey, I'm doing something, so there must be a surplus of food now, and I shouldn't stress out too much" if you exercise regularly. This leads most people to not react to famine. To achieve this effect, aerobic activity (cardio) and weight training are two essential types of exercise. But cardiovascular health is the main focus here.
Aerobic exercise aims to burn calories without triggering the body's hunger response. The word "exercise" or "cardio" sometimes elicits negative connotations about the insurmountable difficulty of actually engaging in such physical activity, however this outlook is often mistaken. Cardio is physically demanding at first, but it becomes easier and more enjoyable as your body adjusts.
Making Cardio Easier While Maintaining the Same Calorie Burn
Cardio makes your body adapt so that it can do the same amount of work with less effort as you do it more often. Your body undergoes a plethora of changes that would fill an entire textbook: it develops new capillaries, your cells increase their production of mitochondria (the cellular powerhouse), your heart becomes stronger, your blood production increases, and many more. The most important thing to remember is that calorie expenditure remains constant, regardless of how your body adjusts or how easy cardio gets. Nonetheless, you'll be able to workout more effectively, burning more calories and fat, thanks to your newly adapted body. For example, a one-hour and forty-five minute walk would burn 300 calories. Jogging for 25-30 minutes (the exact duration will depend on your speed) on the other hand will burn 300 calories. Unless you're a complete sloth, the latter is the more sensible choice. As we'll see later on, walking also doesn't produce the same endorphin rush as running or jogging.
Principal of Overload
You should aim to adapt to the point where you can burn enough calories when you begin an aerobic routine. Here, the overload principle comes into play. In order to trigger adaptations in your body, the overload principle states that you should exercise more frequently, for longer periods of time, or at a higher intensity. Whether you choose to overload with intensity, length, or frequency determines the type to which you will adapt. As an example, your body will adjust to your running speed if you run faster for the same distance. Simply increasing your running distance will cause your body to adjust and allow you to run farther. That is the subject of an upcoming post; yet, this approach does have very particular aims. Basically, the overload principle shows that you won't adapt if you stick to the same pattern without increasing your effort. If you perform the same aerobics tape every day, your body will never adapt since it doesn't need to. If you were to use a more sophisticated tape, nevertheless, your body would adapt; but, you'd have to locate an even more challenging tape to trigger any more adaptations. You should be aware that maintaining your current fitness level and exercise regimen will result in a constant caloric expenditure; so, this strategy could work for you if you're only looking to lose fat.
Why Not Jump Right In?
It goes without saying that you should ease into cardio if it has been a while since you last did any. You should ease into it by walking quickly at first, then adding little jogs here and there, and eventually you'll be jogging the entire time. Then, when you're satisfied with your results, you may start increasing your times and speeds. The most challenging aspect is really taking action. Even if you have to start out little, the hardest part is already over as you get your momentum going by exercising for the first time.
An Endorphin High: Your Body's Gift to You
The "endorphin high" is a side effect of cardiovascular exercise that helps you feel better overall. This natural intoxicant makes you feel good physically and mentally by lowering your stress levels, elevating your mood, and sharpening your focus. A lot of people who run long distances are "addicted" to it, according to the theory, since they like the rush that comes from finishing a run so much. These will encourage you to stick to your program and keep burning fat after you've had one.
Morning Exercise Routine?
While caloric intake is the primary factor in fat reduction, it's crucial to remember that different types of calories have different effects. Your blood sugar level drops to a dangerously low level when you first open your eyes in the morning. Glycogen is just another name for the carbs that the body stores. Glycogen is the preferred fuel source for exercise, rather than fat. The ratio of glycogen to fat is often dependent on the availability of various food sources, although it is constantly present in your body. Consequently, your body is compelled to burn fat at a larger ratio when it is low on glycogen in the morning compared to after a meal. Hence, compared to exercising when not fasting, cardio performed while fasting will result in a greater fat burn. According to one study, this strategy can increase fat burning by 17% compared to eating just before (1). Another research paper concurs with this by noting, "our results support the hypothesis that endurance training enhances lipid oxidation (lipid oxidation means the burning of fat) in men after a 12-h fast at low relative exercise intensities" (2). Morning exercise can help you burn more fat, so be sure to drink plenty of water before you start (you'll be thirsty after waking up) and wait to eat breakfast until after your workout.
Another good reason to work out first thing in the morning is that the endorphin high will put you in a better mood and help you think more clearly throughout the day. Even if you might be "too tired" to do exercise in the afternoon, you're more likely to get it done first thing in the morning.
Ensure That You Stay Hydrated
Get plenty of water in you before beginning your new fitness program. Your mental and physical performance will improve as a result of drinking water. All of your bodily reactions necessitate water. The majority of the population is perpetually semi-hydrated. As the author can attest from personal experience, exercising can induce lightheadedness and fainting, heat stroke, and even death in extreme circumstances. Have you ever worked out and felt a thick, cottony sensation in your mouth? If you ever get cotton-mouth when exercising aerobically, it's important to remember that you could have benefited greatly from drinking extra water before your workout and avoided the unpleasant side effects of dehydration. Water is best consumed continuously throughout the day, not only when exercising.
Music!
Listening to music before and during exercise is a certain approach to get energized and link it with happy feelings. Cardio will seem more enjoyable and improve your performance in ways you never imagined.
Starting an exercise program is the most challenging aspect, as mentioned earlier. Stay hydrated, listen to music while you exercise, and remember to apply the overload principle while attempting to induce an adaptive response. If you want to burn more fat, feel better overall, and have better focus and concentration throughout the day, you could even conclude that morning exercise is the way to go. After you get over that initial resistance and start to feel the benefits of cardio, like continuous weight reduction, a sense of achievement, and that incredible endorphin high, you will become addicted. For additional information on how to supplement your fitness regimen with a smart eating plan, check out http://www.weight-loss-resources.com.
The recovery energy consumption during steady-state exercise in runners and non-exercisers was studied by Brehm and Gutin. Medical and Scientific Studies in Athletics and Physical Fitness. (1986) 18: 205.
2. Respiratory gas-exchange ratios during graded exercise in fed and fasting trained and untrained men. Bergman, BC, Brooks, GA. The Journal of Applied Physiology, volume 86, issue 2, 1999.
Oh my goodness!
Post a Comment for " Exactly Why Cardio Is Crucial"