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Weight Loss and Strength Training
If you think weight loss is as easy as picking the right diet or aerobics class, think again. Fewer than 10% of all dieters maintain any of their weight loss for more than a year. Diets that focus solely on calorie restriction don’t account for the muscle lost (up to 25%) This loss of muscle will lower your RMR (resting metabolic rate) and will then decrease the amount of calories burned daily. RMR accounts for up to 75% of your daily energy needs; a moderate increase or decrease can affect your chances for long term success in weight loss. Every pound of muscle will burn about 35 extra calories per day. This may not seem like much, but this translates into an extra 4 pounds of fat lost every year! A healthy diet is important for everyone’s long term health goals, but it is not the only component.
Aerobic exercise is important for everyone’s health, and to their waistline. An hour of moderate aerobic activity will burn 300-400 calories. However, aerobic exercise does not increase muscle tissue. Excessive aerobic activity can actually result in the loss of muscle tissue. This can lead to a smaller, but less toned waistline. This is not to say that aerobic exercise is not a vital tool towards weight loss, but aerobic exercise alone is not enough.
Most adults lose about ½ pound of muscle each year from disuse. This loss over time means a slowing of the body’s RMR. Because this is a fairly slow (and unnoticeable) process, most people continue to eat the same amounts of food. Since calories will not be burned as efficiently as muscle mass is lost, one’s body weight may remain steady, but the waistline will grow as these calories are stored as fat. Research shows that strength training offers greater long-term calorie burning effects than aerobic exercise and/or diet alone. A consistent 2 hours per week of strength training should be introduced to everyone’s routine to maximize one’s weight loss efforts. Note that this should complement rather than replace a healthy diet and aerobic exercise.
Other positives of strength training:
- Helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels; heightens your insulin sensitivity to keep blood sugar levels normal, improves circulation.
- Improves bone mass. One out of every two women will develop osteoporosis by the age of 55. Studies prove that strength training can actually improve bone density, not just slow down the effects of aging.
- Improve recovery from illness. Strength training has proven to significantly reduce the effects of depression, fatigue, and stress, as well as common illnesses.
- Improve your everyday lifestyle. Strength training helps keep the body strong and young, allowing for a more active lifestyle even at advanced ages.