Of course! “It is recommended to carry out a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity a day, combining aerobic and resistance sessions. The first is vital for maintaining cardiovascular health, which entails an increase in caloric expenditure and a decrease in fat. The second increase muscle mass, “says nutritionist Mireia Agramunt.
Why is it essential to have the muscles in tone to eliminate fatty tissue? José Vidal, head of Fitness and Physiotherapy at Sha Wellness Clinic (Alfaz del Pi, Alicante), clarifies it. “The muscle not only has a structural function, but it also develops an important endocrine activity: it participates in the release into the bloodstream of certain hormones that affect caloric expenditure.” That is, the more muscular we are, the more calories we will consume, even at rest.
As for intensity, “the ideal is to polarize,” says Iván Gonzalo, creator of the Elements training system. In other words: «Go to extremes: go from long-lasting gentle aerobic activities – over 45 minutes to a few beats per minute between 110 and 120 – to shorter and much more intense ones in which the body continues burning fat even hours after finishing sports. The great advantage of this second method is that it also strengthens muscle mass, which is a powerful metabolic furnace. His recommendation: “If we opt for interval training, we must look for low-impact exercises so as not to add, to the high intensity in burning calories, a high wear on our joints,” he concludes.
The coaches Carola Prato and MarÃa Giner share their opinion, although, in the case of overweight, they advocate starting the process with “a first phase based on long-term cardiovascular activities without impact. High-intensity workouts would be indicated for people with an excellent previous physical condition “, they add.
A little stress helps you lose weight.
Another activator of brown fat is mild stress, not to be confused with chronic stress, which would have the opposite effects. Studies show that feeling stressed at specific times can activate brown fat and also promote weight loss.
Fit people have more blood fat-burning metabolites than sedentary people. Here are the most efficient ways to burn fat.
Go for a Run
You will continue to burn fat and calories once you finish running. A Yale University study found that people who run for at least four hours a week burn more calories than those who do not run. Listen to music at an excellent tempo to help you run at a faster pace.
Work harder at the start
A University of New Jersey study published that you can burn up to 23% more fat if you work harder early in your training. Try to stay at 80% of your maximum heart rate for 40 minutes; this will help increase your metabolism for up to 19 hours post-exercise.
Lift weights
More muscle equals an increase in metabolism. Doing repetitions slowly helps you increase strength by up to 50%. I prefer the use of weights as it activates more muscle fibres than machines.
If you do the weights earlier than the cardio, you will burn more fat.
Vary the intensity
Alternating between high-intensity and low-intensity cardiovascular episodes has been shown to speed up metabolism.
Work out with kettlebells
Not only does working with kettlebells help you build muscle, but doing it for 20 minutes can burn the same calories as jogging at 6 minutes per mile for the same amount of time.
Play soccer
Playing soccer not only burns fatter and builds more muscle compared to running, but it makes you feel less tired, a Danish study reveals.
You’ve probably heard people blame a slow metabolism for their weight problems, but what does that mean? Is metabolism the culprit? And if so, is it possible to speed up the metabolism to burn more calories?
Metabolism is indeed related to weight. But, contrary to popular belief, slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excessive weight gain.
Although metabolism influences the body’s primary energy needs, the amount you eat and drink and the amount of physical activity you engage in are the ultimate determining factors in weight.
It needs energy for all its “hidden” functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. The amount of calories your body uses to perform these essential functions is known as basal metabolism, or what we would call metabolism.
Several factors determine your individual basal metabolism, such as:
Body size and composition. More prominent or more muscular people burn more calories, even at rest.
Your gender In general, men have less body fat and more muscle than women of the same age and weight, which means that men burn more calories.
Your age. As you age, muscle mass tends to decrease, and fat makes up an increasing percentage of your weight, reducing the number of calories you burn.
