Are You Exercising Enough? Intensity Beats Extensity...

If your exercise program consists of the recommended 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week, you may be in for some startling news. A “weight loss” study from the University of Pittsburgh found that subjects who exercised for 30 minutes, five days a week, released weight initially, but after two years, they actually started to regain three to five percent of their body weight. The subjects who exercised for an hour a day, five days a week, however, managed to maintain a loss of 10 percent or more. Please read on. There are a few reasons why this probably happened in the study including diet and program design.

But, hold on a minute…I know what you are thinking. RHF Burn30 Bootcamp runs on a 30 minute model. The reason I am telling you about this study is because a standard schedule (30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) may only be enough exercise to receive health benefits. When it comes to controlling your weight you may want to consider 2, 30 minute high intensity sessions (split routine). This is why I created the Burn30 Bootcamp Unlimited Plan!

The RHF philosophy regarding weight maintenance has always been a simple matter of calories "in" versus calories "out" -- give or take some subtleties on how you get there. The one problem with this discovery is that as Americans keep eating more, it means we will need to exercise even more just to MAINTAIN our weight, let alone release any unwanted pounds or inches. As of right now, we consume, on average, an extra 523 calories a day over what people typically consumed 28 years ago.

Since we are taking in more calories, we need to exercise more to burn those calories off. It is simple math. In fact, to compensate for those 523 extra calories daily, you need to walk an extra 35 to 50 miles a week -- just to maintain your weight at its current level. At a peppy 20-minute per mile pace, that adds up to about an extra two hours of breaking a sweat every single day, seven days a week! And again, that is just to maintain weight!

The current exercise recommendations put forth by the majority of health organizations tout 30-minutes a day as the magic health-inducing, weight-reducing formula. Perhaps 30 minutes would suffice if you are already at your ideal weight and you consume the right amount of calories for your lifestyle -- but again, statistics indicate that most of us eat way more than we need to. If you are already overweight, you absolutely need cut out those extra calories and exercise more than 30 minutes a daily (try a split routine; 2, 30 minute sessions at Burn30 Bootcamp) in order to release those unwanted pounds and inches. 

And if you continue to overeat, you need to exercise for hours on end to avoid getting any fatter. Remember, you can never "out-exercise" a bad nutrition plan! The bottom line is that releasing weight (becoming fit) requires eating optimally for your program and exercising with the correct time, type, frequency, and intensity!

Intensity beats extensity...creating a metabolic after-burn.

Most people (about 90% if I had to guess) are simply unable to commit to an EXTRA 2 hours of exercise each day. It is impractical in today’s world. High intensity training (HIT) at Burn30 Bootcamp creates a metabolic after-burn that can last up to 48 hours post-workout! HIT keeps the body burning calories! It is never just about how many calories you burn say in one session, but more importantly it may be how you can maximize a calorie burn, say over a week, a month, or even a year. Get the picture? The typical calorie burn in 30 minutes at Burn30 Bootcamp ranges from 350-550 in 30 minutes with an after-burn lasting 1-2 days post-workout. With this in mind, it may begin to make much more sense that fitness is a long-term plan and perspective. Fitness is a lifestyle. You have got to work really hard to change your metabolism. Your metabolism runs like a furnace. You have to keep the furnace going by moving. Intensity is the catalyst. Nutrition supports the process.

Hey, if nothing else, try shrinking your plate size.

The average plate size has increased two inches over the last few years -- from an average diameter of 10 inches a dinner plate to 12 inches. I understand, two inches may sound like a little bit, but it increases the surface area of your plate from 78 to 113 inches. That is almost a 50 percent increase. That allows you to put 50 percent more food on your plate...and 50 percent more calories. Can you say supersize me? No wonder you may need to exercise more than 30 minutes a day!

Another way to help battle weight gain is to squeeze in more calorie-burning activities throughout the day.

Consider these suggestions:

Start up some outdoor hobbies such as gardening or nature walks.
Plan weekly activities such as hiking, biking, or sport activities.
Park farther away from your destination. Use the stairs (over elevators) when time allows.
Play a motion game with your kids or a motion fitness game.

For more info on RHF please contact us!

Got 30 minutes?