Exercise and Weight Loss Lesson of the Week: Everything Counts

from: About.com

We often have a lot of rules about what ‘counts’ as a workout. These rules will differ from person to person, depending on the amount and type of information you’ve absorbed over the years – often without even realizing it.

For a lot of us, a workout only counts if it involves: A change of clothes, time, sweat, burning, heaving, swearing and, of course, pain and suffering.

It’s true that, if you really want to change your body, you have to work at it and it usually involves more exercise and more intensity than you think.

However, there’s way to burn calories that doesn’t involve sweating, burning or suffering and something we often forget about: Simple movement.

We know that simply standing up can have a lovely effect on our metabolisms and we also know that NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is one of the simplest ways to add to your overall weight loss. This becomes even more important on those days when you can’t fit in a workout that ‘counts.’ Is going for a walk or taking the stairs a few times going to burn as many calories as, say, a 4-mile run? No. But it will definitely burn more calories than sitting.

Yes, structured, focus workouts are important but, even if you can’t fit in a workout, you can make a difference by staying active. Every time you stand instead of sit, walk instead of stand, move instead of vegetate, you’re doing something important and it all counts.

One Comment on “Exercise and Weight Loss Lesson of the Week: Everything Counts”

1. arealfoodlover

   March 5, 2012

   

   I have found that my absolute best results come from working out at high intensity for exactly 1 minute. Stopping and resting until my heart rate is back to normal. Then exercising again at high intensity for 1 minute. Repeat until you feel finished.

   I find that the harder I push myself during that ONE little minute, the better my results. I can’t believe all the years I wasted, literally running full speed on the treadmill for 60 minutes, and I could have been working out this way instead.

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