A group of scientists are trying to shift the standard public health weight loss message: To lose weight, simply exercise more.
According to a new study, there’s a limit to how many calories we can burn through exercise. The researchers of the relatively small study measured the activity levels of 332 adults living in the U.S., Jamaica and Africa for more than a week. They found that the participants who moved more burned more calories, but only up to a point. The most active people would seemingly hit a plateau and would not burn any more calories than those who were less active.
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Experts believe there is an evolutionary explanation for this, and that humans may have evolved to limit the number of calories that can be burned to keep from starving.
So while the amount of exercise we do may not be directly proportionate the number of calories we burn, scientists say you may be able to trick your body into burning more calories by occasionally switching up your regimen.
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So if you run all the time, try biking or swimming, and if you bike, try running or swimming. Using different muscles can increase the amount of energy you expend, thereby burning more calories. You could also try decreasing and then increasing your level of activity to get that increase in calorie burning.
