In the world of fitness there is an ongoing battle between Diet and Exercise. Aspiring fitness enthusiasts often ask which is more important – diet or exercise.
A simple answer to this is “Eat less and move more”. But is it really the right thing to do?
Let’s ponder a bit over both these elements:
Dieting:
Dieting is nothing but a weight loss plan that promises dramatic results by cutting down on calories. Some people believe that going on a diet is the only way our body loses weight. The principle they follow is that when we restrict our food intake our body loses all the extra calories and we are content with the numbers displayed on our weighing scale. But they often wonder how they end up gaining half the weight they lost in a month by eating out one fine night.
Exercising:
Then there are those who believe that exercising is the only way to shape your body and you will find them in the gym in the morning and evening sweating it out. But they too wonder why they still can’t fit in to those jeans even though they have been working out for over a month. This happens because although they manage to lose calories at the gym, they pile on more calories by eating unhealthy and high-fat food throughout the day.
Diet plus Exercise
So from a logical standpoint does one really have to choose between diet and exercise? I feel amalgamation of the two is the correct and safest way to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Diet and exercise work together to affect every aspect of your health. What you eat, how much you eat, and exercise affects your bone health, cardiovascular health, blood pressure and weight. Getting regular doses of cardiovascular and resistance training and complementing it by eating fruits and vegetables, lean protein is the best way to optimise your health overall, Diet will help you in losing weight steadily, building up your energy and working out regularly will help you tone your muscles and build your body strength.
Combining healthy calories with daily exercise is the right way to stay fit. You should strive to get atleast 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Some people may need to get as much s 60 minutes per day to lose weight or maintain their current weight. One must remember that whatever we eat adds to our calories and when we work out we lose those calories. So eating right and working out the right way will lead to effective weight loss and maintenance.
So next time someone asks you what’s your formula for having a good healthy body and lifestyle then the answer is simple – “a good balanced diet with a well-planned exercise regime”.
BIO: Swapnil Hazare is a Senior Fitness Consultant for Prosport Fitness Pvt Ltd.
Recommended for you
