Should You Turn Down the Heating to Lose Weight?

In the winter, the central heating can be a life saver, but could having the heating on actually be damaging to your wellbeing? According to Dutch researchers, the use of central heating prevents your body using up energy to stay warm, which could be helping to drive up your obesity level. If you’re looking to lose weight, the research team advocate turning down the heating in your home and/or office in order to burn more calories – but aren’t there other wellness factors to consider? Surely there’s no point being skinny if you end up cold, miserable and possibly freezing to death!

 

The paper was written by researchers from MaastrichtUniversity and Avans Hogeschool, both in the Netherlands, and published in the peer reviewed journal Science and Society. The report was a narrative review on the topic of cold exposure, energy expenditure and its relationship to obesity. A narrative review uses certain studies in support of a particular argument. However, the NHS warns, ‘The authors do not appear to have searched the literature in a systematic way (a systematic review) nor do they report on how the search for literature was carried out. There is a risk that important evidence may have been overlooked or ignored.’

 

Still, the paper does make some interesting points. The paper notes that we can now control the temperature around us more easily, which means our bodies no longer need to expend as much energy to control internal temperature. We have also experienced a rise in obesity which, the researchers say, is linked not only to excessive food intake but also to physical inactivity (reduced energy expenditure). When you are cold enough, you start to shiver and burn energy at a greater rate – up to five times quicker than we would normally. This helps you to burn calories and, as a result, lose weight.

 

However, as shivering all day long is both unpleasant, unhealthy and make you unproductive, the researchers focus on “non-shivering thermogenesis” (NST), a method of keeping warm which does not entail shivering. This basically involves you keeping the temperature low enough to burn calories without shivering. The researchers assert that non-shivering heat production can account for up to 30% of the body’s energy budget in young and middle-aged people. They researchers suggest that a mildly cold temperature indoors – say, for example, 18-19 degrees C can result in the same increases in NST. This is roughly the same temperature as you would experience outdoors during June in England.

 

Without turning down temperatures in our homes, offices and public places, the researchers warn that ‘entire populations may be prone to developing diseases such as obesity.’ So should you turn down your heating to lose weight? According to the NHS website, ‘Slightly turning down the thermostat could certainly help your “energy balance”. There is a certain logic to the theory that if you’re cold the body will use energy to stay warm. But as yet there is no hard evidence to suggest this will help you stay a healthy weight. Staying warm in winter is important for health, especially for those who are vulnerable to cold such as the elderly and people with chronic conditions such as asthma. Current advice is that indoor heating should be around 18-21oC. Maybe one way to combine the benefits of temperature and physical activity is to regularly take brisk walks or jogs during the winter months. While this may not be a guaranteed method of burning of your brown fat, it should help contribute towards your fitness levels and lift your mood.’

Categories: burn calories, central heating, energy, energy expenditure, heating, Lose weight, narrative review, obesity, Research, Researchers, stay warm

Could Your Metabolism be to Blame for Your Weight?

Metabolism is defined as the rate at which our bodies burn calories when we are resting, known as the basal metabolic rate. Our bodies burn around 60-75 percent of our energy when we’re resting – meaning our metabolic rate impacts heavily on our weight loss efforts. The metabolism rises when we begin to move around, which is why people with more muscles burn calories more easily, because it takes more fuel to maintain the muscle than it does to maintain fat. The more exercise we get, the more we want. For people with a low metabolism, going to a quick run around the block or hitting the gym for an hour-long session sounds like a complete nightmare – they’d sooner sit and watch television. This reluctance to exercise, coupled with added fat, high blood pressure and high cholesterol is known as ‘the metabolic syndrome’. One in every five overweight people have this problem. It’s a serious matter, as it can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular or kidney disease, or hardening of the arteries. The following habits will keep your metabolism slow – fasting, lowering your intake of calories, snacking on sugar-laden foods or sitting around all day doing nothing.

Insulin resistance is involved in the development of metabolic syndrome, meaning that you could be at risk of diabetes. Insulin is a naturally produced hormone which transfers sugar into the cells, where it is later transformed into energy. Being obese will promote this resistance, so that cells will have difficulty responding to the insulin. As your body resists, it tries to pump out more insulin, which makes the problem worse. This is where you blood sugar levels rise and your risk of diabetes increases rapdily. Obesity also increases your risk of hypertension, dislipidemia (where your bad cholesterol levels are high and your good cholesterol is low; triglycerides are high, contributing to a risk of heart disease), and kidney disease. There are more side effects of obesity as well, such as a low sense of self esteem and confidence, which can affect your mental health.

So why don’t diets work for people with a low metabolism? Diets fail for a number of reasons, be it hormonal changes, lack of motivation or muscle loss. If you cut your calorie intake from 1250 a day to 990, the body panics and worries that you’re trying to starve yourself, so it begins storing fat. If the perceived starvation continues, your body will then begin breaking down the muscle tissues to add to its reserves. It releases nitrogen in the process, which your body must wash away with water from the cells – the result of this is that you urinate more and the the number on the scales drops. But you’re actually becoming dehydrated, which will result in you feeling unwell and generally fatigued. There are healthier ways to speed up your metabolism. The main tips are to eat sensibly and regularly, with three nutritious meals each day that are low in fat and sugar but high in nutrients. Alongside this, you should get plenty of sleep, enough exercise and have your thyroid checked. Check with your pharmacist or GP about any side effects if you’re taking medication, as this could be exacerbating your problem. Don’t ever skip meals and don’t neglect your water intake. Also, avoid over-the-counter tablets that promise to boost your metabolism. While some may be harmless, others can lead to damaging side effects such as excessive sweating, diarrhoea, tremors and an increased heart rate.

Categories: bodies burn, burn calories, diet, high, Insulin, kidney disease, metabolic rate, Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolism, risk, Weight Loss

What is the Best Workout to Help You to Lose Weight?

Most people who work on their fitness also hope to lose weight in the process. Their workout can not only boost their wellness and wellbeing, but also give them a new trim and toned figure and help them to feel good about themselves.

 

The best way to lose weight is to do a form of activity that burns up the most calories in the shortest period of time it is as simple as that! When it comes to this type of calorie burning, cardio is king – and if you want to see even better results you should do some kind of cardio that has an ‘after burn’ effect. This means incorporating some kind of strength of muscle training into your workout so that your muscles continue to burn calories after the workout is complete.

 

Interval style workouts are often the best for this, as they involve short bursts of high intensity activity followed by very brief periods of active recovery, as they raise your metabolism for up to four hours after the workout, allowing you to burn calories even when you are resting later.

 

Any time you bring your heart rate up to the top end of your target zone, the extra fuel or calories that you burn continues in the same way in order to try to bring back your muscle activity and heart rate at a normal rate. And this also helps you to metabolise the lactic acid that your body has created during exercise.

 

Before starting interval training, you should know that too much high intensity cardio can actually have the opposite effect – this can leave you feeling tired, cranky and too run down to continue with your new exercise regime. As long as you take it easy with the cardio, however, this training programme should have the pounds coming off you in no time.

Categories: burn, burn calories, calories, Cardio, fitness, Heart Rate, high intensity, Lose weight, nbsp, weight, Workout

How To Lose Weight With Taekwondo

Martial arts like taekwondo are a brilliant way of losing weight. That’s because they bring together a number of different aspects important for shedding the pounds. Here are four important ways that taekwondo can help you get healthy and reach your dream weight.

It burns calories

It might seem obvious but a vigorous taekwondo session is a great way to burn calories, which is a cornerstone of losing weight. You should start off at a level that suits you so that you don’t try to work too hard too quickly. You can then build up your fitness level from there.

It tones muscles

One of the major activities that are a part of taekwondo is brisk walking and running; these help in the toning of the muscles and will eventually make your body look toned. This is also a great way to increase the metabolic rate which is tied in to burning calories. Make sure you get the most out of your taekwondo by combining it with a healthy diet.

It improves cardiovascular health

Another important aspect of taekwondo is aerobic exercise. Taekwondo actually gives your body both an aerobic and anaerobic workout. These lead to a great improvement of cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular system comprises of the heart, veins and arteries that transport blood. The best way to improve the health of the cardiovascular system is by participating in activities like aerobics and anaerobics.

It improves flexibility

Improved flexibility helps in easy movements of limbs and can help keep the joints and bones healthier. This flexibility is gained by stretching before, during and after a session. Improved flexibility not only helps in improving taekwondo skills, but it also helps in building your lean muscle. Flexibility has great all-round benefits that are important to lasting wellbeing.

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How To Lose Weight With Taekwondo

Categories: burn calories, taekwondo, tone muscle