W L FITNESS
WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT - EXERCISE OR NUTRITION ?
By Charlotte Forde
Many of you will be familiar with the term ‘ you can ’ t outexercise a bad diet ’ but how true is it ? Exercise and Nutrition work cohesively to maintain a healthy body and it is imperative to have a balance of each to gain strength and lose fat but which is the most important : exercise or nutrition ?
It is very true that this will be specific to each individual and that one way doesn ’ t suit everybody , depending on current lifestyle and habits ; however , generally exercise alone will not help lose a significant amount of weight . If your activity level is quite low and you lead a sedentary lifestyle then you will probably lose a small amount of weight especially in the first few weeks of your training however , when your body starts to recognise physical activity as a norm then your weight loss will start to plateau , this is why it is encouraged that you cross-train and use a variety of different training techniques rather than stick to one routine ; it is also very important to use progressive training methods to ensure that you are constantly overloading the body in order to see adaptations / improvements .
Where many people go wrong when exercising , is using smart devices to monitor how many calories they have burned during exercise and then consuming the additional calories as they have “ earnt it ” due to working so hard in the gym . Unfortunately this doesn ' t work and can gradually lead to negating the impact of their workouts over time . The only way that you can increase your calorie intake through exercise is by increasing your muscle mass through strength training which will in turn increase your BMR ( Basal Metabolic Rate ) meaning that you will burn a higher amount of calories on a daily basis even when doing absolutely nothing .
The only way to achieve weight loss is to consume fewer calories than you burn , this is called a calorie deficit . For the majority of people , it is much easier to control and decrease calorie intake
than it is to monitor and increase the amount of calories that are burned through exercise . In most cases , it would be nearly impossible to produce the required amount of energy deficit that most people would need to lose weight without managing and reducing what they eat . By doing both ( reducing calories and increasing physical activity ) will be more effective when aiming to achieve weight loss . Even though this sounds quite easy , if you do this in a way that is not sustainable then you ' re more likely to regain weight quicker when it is no longer possible to maintain any drastic changes , so ensure that you reduce your calorie intake responsibly . This can be challenging but it can be achieved by reviewing the nutritional values of the meals and snacks that you consume and by reducing saturated fats and sugars .
The relationship between food and exercise can be extremely complicated but the bottom line is , food is the fuel source that drives exercise and without the correct nutritional intake it is impossible to exercise effectively and achieve your weight loss goals . Each food group plays an imperative role in maintaining our health and optimising the impact of any exercise that you undertake . Nutritional habits do have a greater impact on your body composition than exercise does and you are able to change your body composition purely through diet alone without exercise but with a combination of exercise and healthy nutrition , physique goals are achieved more efficiently and exercise can help maintain them changes over time as well as the numerous other health benefits that are achieved through undertaking physical activity .
NB . Regular exercise can help you control your weight , reduce your risk of heart disease , and strengthen your bones and muscles . But if it ' s been a while since you ' ve exercised and you have health issues or concerns , it ' s a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise routine or nutritional plan . wirrallife . com 65