Recent Article in Time Magazine

Many of you have probably read the article in Time Magazine, "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin." It was tough to read this article without getting a little upset being a fitness professional. I take my job extremely seriously and pride myself in keeping up with research so that I can create a program that is going to get the best results. The author does mention many of the benefits of exercise such as reducing disease, improving mental health, and others. He claims that if you exercise you might actually gain weight because you are going to eat more calories than you burned.

First off, yes if you eat more calories than you burn than you will obviously gain weight. The fact that he says intense exercise will increase your appetite for sugary food is false. It is important to look at all the research when making claims not just one or two. Many studies have shown that high intensity training will lead to a decrease in appetite according to Neil King, and exercise scientist at the University of Leeds in England. If you don't believe me try a sprint workout and see how much you will be able to eat after that if you can even eat anything.

The author of this article does not mention what kinds of food he is eating as well. There are certain healthy foods that will be more filling than simple sugar type foods like donuts. The main problem is people sometimes don't realize how many calories exercise burns. It is usually a lot less than than you expect. This does not mean it is not necessary. Yes it is possible to lose weight without exercising. Look at people from Third World countries. If you don't eat much you cannot gain weight. Problem is that only exercise will increase muscle mass and bone mass. This means that if you try and lose weight without exercise you will lose muscle mass and bone density, both of which can lead to serious health issues.

If you have been gaining weight consistently it means you are consistently eating too much. If you start and exercise program you may just stop gaining weight and not lose weight. You need the combination of a healthy diet along with exercise for a weight loss program.

I could go on and on with problems that are stated in this article but I think you get the point. Exercise needs to be a huge component of a weight loss program. This doesn't mean you can't lose weight without exercising but it is the healthiest way to do so. That article ends with the author saying he might skip his part of his workout the next day, because for some reason he thinks that is the reason he cannot lose weight. I would love to see him complete get off is exercise program and see if he starts to lose weight. And if he does I guarantee he will not be happy with the weight loss and will feel much worse than he was while exercising.

Mike
San Diego Boot Camp

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My Knees Hurt

Unfortunately most people that start an exercise program suffer an injury at some point. Sometimes we get certain aches and pains that are pretty hard to avoid. Most injuries, however, can be avoided with a well structured program.

One of the first mistakes people make when trying to lose weight is skip strength training and start with cardio. I have seen many runners complain of knee issues. When I ask what type of conditioning program they are on the two things they usually do not mention is stretching and strength training. Some people think there is a need to "get into shape" before hitting the gym. They want to get in better condition so when they workout with weights they will be stronger. Running will not get your muscle stronger. You will improve your endurance running. Strength training will get you stronger. You want to make sure your muscles, joints, and connective tissue are ready for the impact of running. If anything you want to strength train to get in shape for running.

Stretching is another huge component that is often left out. We get the urge to jump right into a program and kill ourselves to get weight off. If you can be patient and start with a basic strength training and flexibility program you will dramatically decrease your chance of injury. It is ok to walk away from a work with energy. You should not be completely wiped out every time you workout. Especially if you are just getting started. Build up a strong base and then you can get out running 5 miles a day.

If you often have pain from running you need to re-evaluate your program. It is ok to take a step back so we can take a bigger step forward.