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Renaissance Periodization - while it may sound like you're taking an art history class, it's actually a diet and training program, one that puts an emphasis on either building or maintaining muscle while decreasing fat. The program is noted for applying scientific methods to its diet and training components to ensure the best results, and for many clients, it's definitely worked. So, what exactly is it, and how does it work? Read on to find out.

According to the website, Renaissance Periodization is a diet program that is designed to either help you build muscle or to help you shed fat while maintaining your current muscle. The programs combine scientific principles with nutrition and training. Targeting your efforts for specific results is also a big part of the program, which places focus on what works and what doesn't.

Related: These Are the 2 Lunches Sarah Ate Every Day to Help Her Lose 50+ Pounds

50-Pound Female Weight Loss

Renaissance Periodization is broken down into two distinct programs. For men with 15 percent body fat or more and women with 20 percent body fat or more, the fat-burning program is recommended. For those under that percentage, the muscle-building program is recommended. Whichever program you're on, the diet lays out all of the meals for a particular day as well as the timing and macronutrient amount of each meal. While the diet can be strict - especially if you're looking for maximum results in a short amount of time - it can also be a bit more flexible if you're not on a time crunch.

According to founder Nick Shaw, clients eat a variety of foods both for health purposes and to prevent the diet from becoming stale. The diet lays out a number of acceptable foods for each macronutrient (protein, carbs, and fats) and a list of low-carb veggie options as well. The program also lays out a number of macros per meal depending upon your schedule and when you train; you'll typically plan out your diet around one training session per day. There is also an approved foods list for each category (lean proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and healthy carbs), as well as a meal plan for vegans, so whatever your lifestyle, there are options developed for you.

Dropping the diet for certain days or meals (aka "cheat meals") is uncommon but can be built into the program depending on the client and the goals. Eating off-plan may increase cravings, however, so the founders don't typically recommend it.

Related: This Is the Nutrition Program That Helped Haley Drop 30 Pounds in 3 Months

30-Pound Weight-Loss Before-and-After

Physical training is a key aspect in the Renaissance Periodization method. Clients who are newer to weight training will lift weights two to four times per week, while more advanced clients train as much as five to six times per week. The circuits are based on basic exercises, including squats, deadlifts, pressing movements, and pulling movements.

Renaissance Periodization may be worth a shot, especially if you work off hours or have trouble sticking to a consistent schedule. The routine not only enables people to be able to decide when they work out, which affects when and what they eat, but also helps even the most off-hours person slide into a healthy weight-loss routine. The founders say consistency is the best way to get optimal results, but unlike other diets (take Whole30, for example), there are ways to relax the diet for special occasions or those days when you just really crave Taco Bell.

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Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Build Muscle With Renaissance Periodization - Yahoo News UK

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Who doesnt want toned legs and hips? Whether you are looking for weight loss or increasing muscle mass, strength training the lower body is the best way to get the desired result. The right exercises will not only help tone up your entire lower area but also provide more stability for every movement you do. Today, we bring to you a 5-min workout routine that can help lose weight from your thighs, legs and hips. This workout routine consists of five exercises, which include: Also Read - Try these 3 bed stretches to ease body ache while working from home

This is a great warm-up exercise to kick off this routine. Bridgeworks on strengthening and losing weight from your butt muscles and hamstrings. Also Read - Best exercises for burning calories and losing weight

How to Also Read - Weight loss tips: Floor exercises for older adults to stay fit during lockdown

Squats work on the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, especially at the top.

How to

This variation from a basic squat will fire up your hamstrings, quads and gluteus maximus, while focusing on the side hip during the leg lift.

How to

Single-leg deadlifts work on all the major muscles in your lower body, the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, ankles, and the core.

How to

Backward lungesare best for your glutes hamstrings, and quads and are much easier to perform than the regular lunges.

How to

Published : June 1, 2020 7:39 pm | Updated:June 1, 2020 8:01 pm

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5-min workout routine to lose weight from your lower body - TheHealthSite

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Adele surprised fans in May 2020 when she revealed a svelte new figure in an Instagram post thanking fans for all their birthday wishes. Her new look made headlines and it wasn't long before people started wondering how she lost so much weight.

Now, the secret behind her weight loss has finally been revealed! In late May 2020, theDaily Mailreported that the singer lost around 100 lbs by using a low-calorie meal delivery program. Allegedly, she was using Freshology, an American-based meal delivery company, after celebrity friend Katy Perry recommended it. The Sun reports many celebrities use the service, including Pink, Sofia Vergara, Hilary Duff, and Ricki Lake.

A source close to the singer gave The Sun the scoop. "Adele made it clear she doesn't want to feel deprived and loves wholesome, good food, so she chose the balanced calorie-controlled menu which delivers three meals a day and doesn't cut out any food groups but sticks to around 1,700 calories," the insider revealed. "Adele's never been a huge fan of cooking and this plan is the perfect way to maintain her hard work in the gym."

Her former trainer told People that the weight loss was also due to quitting smoking, drinking less, and working out more. But now, we know a little meal delivery program might have also helped Adele achieve her new look!

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This is how Adele really lost all that weight - Nicki Swift

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Know how drinking milk can help you build healthy bones, lose weight: Try this healthy summer milkshake recipe  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: Milk is one of the most nutritious beverages that can offer numerous health benefits. Consumed throughout the world for thousands of years, it is packed full of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients your body needs to function normally. World Milk Day, celebrated on June 1 every year, highlights the importance of milk as a global food. The event first designed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also raises awareness of the vital role of dairy in a healthy, balanced diet. Milk can be easily incorporated into your diet. Try adding it to your smoothies, shakes, coffee, or your morning oatmeal.

Apart from being an excellent source of high-quality protein and B vitamins, milk contains several nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, healthy fats and antioxidants that can help build healthy bones and teeth, improve heart health, and prevent weight gain. Take a look at how drinking milk can boost your health.

Whats more, milk is a versatile, nourishing food that can be easily added to your diet in many ways. Heres a healthy milkshake recipe perfect for summer - banana and almond milkshake.

Ingredients:

Procedure:

Tip: You can opt for non-dairy milk alternatives if youre lactose intolerant or haveproblems digesting dairy products. There are many milk alternatives - almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, oat milk, etc - for those who cant drink milk or choose not to consume it.

Milk is a tasty, nutritious drink that may promote your health in a number of ways. It can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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World Milk Day: Drinking milk can help you build strong bones, lose weight- try this healthy milkshake recipe - Times Now

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Are you involved in an exercise program but seeing very little changes in your body or weight? Frustrated that all your hard work doesn't seem to be paying off?

Firstly, it takes a lot of exercise to burn off energy or calories. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat, for example running a marathon burns 2600 calories, so you see...very hard work for little calories burned.

My advice is to eat for weight loss and train for body composition, its easier that way.

Here are my top tips for getting leaner and created a strong, toned body.

1. Understand and educate yourself on how many calories are in the foods you currently eat. The law of energy balance governs whether we lose or store body fat. Keep track of what you are eating and try and drop calories out of our diet slowly and steadily. A calorie deficit of 500 a day over 7 days a week will enable you to drop a pound of fat a week.

It's easier and more sustainable to reduce calories in your daily diet by 200-300 each day and participate in exercise to burn 100-200 additional calories. This avoids injury, fatigue and encourages awareness of calories and energy balance from weight loss.

2. Don't forget to track the calories bites, licks, nibbles and tastes. It's astounding how many calories you consume just nibbling, finishing off kids leftovers, tasting food during preparation. This could equate to 500 plus calories a day if you are not tracking correctly and could wipe out your calorie deficit. In order to create flexibility in your diet you can give yourself a weekly calorie budget and have a little more calories at times you need them, for example, social occasions.

3. Participate in the exercise you enjoy. You are more likely to maintain it when you enjoy it.

4. Don't neglect your NEAT activity. A common problem is that when we participate in planned physical activity like a class or go for a run we tend to reduce our NEAT activity because we feel "our exercise is complete". Every day try and complete 10k steps in addition to planned exercise. Park your car furthest from the shops or office and get your steps in that way. Take your children for a walk in the park, you'll find it will improve their behavior, sleep and make them healthier too.

5. Prioritise Weight Training as it will have the greatest impact on your body composition and is essential for improving bone and muscle strength as we age. It will improve Insulin Sensitivity, metabolism, and hormonal function. We want to focus on building muscle on top of our skeletal system and then reducting body fat in order to see that lean, toned definition that we have built up in our weight training regime.

There is not much point building up muscle in the gym, only to have it covered with layers of fat. Both my online six week Bikini Body and Over 40 lean and Strong provide a strength-based program with video tutorials to teach you how to lift weights safely and for muscle tone and definition.

6. Be Consistent. Dipping in and out of an exercise program won't make us strong and counting calories half-arsed won't help us lose weight. Setting realistic goals of 1lb a week and participate in 2-3 strength sessions to start off, this is more sustainable than biting off more than you can chew.

You can check out all the programmes listed above on my website. Each program provides support from myself and qualified nutritionists and fitness professionals through a private Facebook community to enable you to reach your desired goals.

Follow me on Facebook; Tara Grimes Fitness, Instagram: Taragrimesfitness, Snapchat: Tara_Grimes

For more of today's top stories in Belfast and beyond, click here.

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What's the best way to lose fat- diet or exercise? - Belfast Live

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By Sara Lindberg

Whether you've hit a workout plateau or you're just ready to turn things up a notch, adding more strenuous exercise also known as high-intensity exercise to your overall fitness routine is one way to increase your calorie burn, improve your heart health, and boost your metabolism.

However, to do it safely and effectively, there are some guidelines you should follow. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of vigorous exercise and how to safely dial up the intensity of your workouts.

When it comes to exercise, the intensity of how hard you work out is just as important as the duration of your exercise session. In general, exercise intensity is divided into three categories:

For an activity to be vigorous, you need to work at 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, according to the American Heart Association. Examples of vigorous exercise include:

Low to moderate exercise is easier to sustain for longer periods since you work below 70 percent of your maximum heart rate and, sometimes, well below that level.

To reap health benefits, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that people age 18 and older get one of the following:

Increasing your exercise intensity is fairly simple to do. You can still participate in your favorite activities just at a more vigorous pace.

One of the benefits of more strenuous exercise is that you can reap the same rewards as moderate-intensity exercise but in less time. So, if time is of the essence, doing a more strenuous 20-minute workout can be just as beneficial as doing a slower 40-minute workout session.

Here are some examples of strenuous vs. moderate exercise.

Besides being more efficient, turning up the heat on your fitness sessions can benefit your health in a variety of ways. Let's take a closer look at some of the evidence-based benefits of a higher intensity workout.

So, how do you know for sure that you're exercising at a strenuous level? Let's look at three ways to measure the intensity of your physical activity.

Monitoring your heart rate is one of the most reliable methods for measuring exercise intensity. Exercising at 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate qualifies as vigorous exercise intensity.

You can check your heart rate while you're working out by wearing a heart rate monitor or taking your pulse.

The talk test is one of the easiest ways to measure exercise intensity.

The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale is a subjective measure of exercise intensity.

When using RPE, you'll pay attention to your heart rate, breathing, and muscle fatigue, and rate your exertion level based on a scale that ranges from 1 to 10. No exertion is rated as a 1 and maximum effort is rated as 10.

To be considered vigorous, an activity should meet or exceed a level of 6 to 7, which is considered hard on the RPE scale. This includes jogging, biking, or swimming. Running without stopping is ranked as 8 to 9 on the RPE scale.

Adding strenuous activity to your weekly workout routine requires some careful planning. Fortunately, many of the activities that you do at a moderate level can easily be performed at a higher intensity.

One way of incorporating vigorous aerobic activity into your routine is to do a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. This type of workout combines short bursts of intense activity typically performed at 80 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate with recovery periods at 40 to 50 percent maximum heart rate.

To sustain this level of training, consider following a 2:1 work to rest ratio. For example, a treadmill workout or outdoor running session could include:

Playing a fast-paced sport like soccer, basketball, or racquetball is another effective way to add strenuous activity to your fitness routine. Participating in cycling classes or swimming laps are other ways to build more strenuous exercise into your workouts.

Before you turn up the intensity on your workouts, it's important to keep the following safety tips in mind.

If you have a health condition or you haven't been active in a while, make sure you talk to your doctor before you start a high-intensity exercise routine. Your doctor can advise you on a safe level of exercise or how to become more active in the safest way possible.

Going from low- or moderate-intensity workouts to vigorous exercise requires time and patience. While you may be ready to jump in with both feet, the safest way to add more vigorous exercise is to do it in bite-size increments. Pushing yourself too quickly can result in injuries and burnout.

For example:

It's also a good idea to space out your vigorous workouts throughout the week. Try not to do two strenuous sessions back-to-back.

Your body requires more time to recover from a vigorous workout compared to a low- or moderate-intensity session.

To help your body recover, make sure to always include a cooldown and stretch routine after strenuous physical activity.

Staying hydrated is especially important when you're exercising hard. Not drinking enough fluids can affect the quality of your workout and make you feel tired, lethargic, or dizzy. It may even lead to headaches and cramps.

Turning up the intensity of your workout sessions can be an effective way of boosting your overall health and fitness. It's also an easy way to save time when trying to fit a workout into your day.

To play it safe, always start slow and pay attention to how your body feels.

While vigorous exercise offers many health benefits, it's not appropriate for everyone. If you have a health condition or you haven't been active in a while, make sure to talk with your doctor before working out at a more strenuous level.

Reposted with permission from Healthline. For detailed source information, please view the original article on Healthline.

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Benefits of Strenuous Exercise and How to Add It to Your Workout - EcoWatch

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Warmest congratulations to the graduating classes of 2020!

Warmest congratulations to the graduating classes of 2020!

And while the traditional Pomp and Circumstance march was replaced this year by virtual programs, the graduation programs of all the St. Johns County High Schools were recorded and can be viewed at StJohns.K12.fl.us/graduations.

The Pedro Menendez High School video contains fun clips of student photos taken through the year. Dr. Carmichael thanked the students for all they did for others from preparing Thanksgiving meals for those in need, to volunteering with church groups and at pet centers during the year. For staying positive and caring through all the challenges, Dr. Carmichael saluted them and assured them he was profoundly proud of them all. These students entered High School shortly before Hurricane Matthew devastated the county; they completed their High School senior year on the day Floridas COVID-19 fatalities were the highest recorded. These 2020 graduating students have experienced things that will make them all stronger, more resilient, and good leaders for our community and nation. Best wishes to all.

During the past two weeks some decisions have been reached that will impact the Hastings area families. The 2020 Hastings Friends of the Library and Team Up FOCUS event has been canceled due to the inability to hold the event and comply with CDC and State of Florida safe social distancing requirements. The FOL will donate all current Back to School supplies to the principals of the schools that serve this area. They in turn will distribute the supplies to students in need. The community FOCUS back to school physicals, paperwork, and vaccinations will not be provided this year, either. Look for an even bigger event in 2021.

The Putnam Trail System and St. Johns River to Sea Loop members send their best regards to all the citizenry in the Hastings Area. They urge all who can to get out on the trails and get fresh air, sunshine, exercise and stay safe. All of their events are currently canceled as well, but many are riding the trail from Palatka to Vermont Heights during the week and on weekends.

At this time, the School Board is planning for students to return to school on Aug. 10. To stay current on the COVID-19 impact on the schools, go to the school board website where there is plenty of information regarding the school calendar and plans. StJohns.K12.FL.us will get you there.

Beginning May 28, mobile meals will be available at the following Parks & Recreation locations: W.E. Harris Community Center 11 a.m. to noon; and Solomon Calhoun Community Center from noon to 12:30 p.m. To locate additional food distribution locations, go to https://stjohns.K12.fl.us.

Mr. Halver (Hal) Stedman passed away on May 1. He was the principal of Hastings High School and later, R.B. Hunt elementary. He opened Nease High School. After retirement, he worked with Flagler College for 15 years in the Education Department. It was his wish that any donations on his behalf be made to Shriners Childrens Hospital.

Dont forget the Hastings Library is open under limited conditions. Free job-seeker services are available in the library meeting room through Career Source of Northeast Florida. Their services include helping residents apply for reemployment assistance benefits online. Theyll be at the Hastings Branch Library on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Health and Human Services are onsite at the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and no appointment is necessary.

You can call and order your books and materials or order them online and pick them up at the library curbside, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is also limited computer time available. For information, call the library at 904-827-6970.

St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Elkton is holding outdoor church services at 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Bring a lawn chair, a hand-fan, a hat, sunglasses, and your mask. Social Distancing will be in effect though families can certainly sit together. Please leave pets at home, though. If it rains heavily, Mass will be canceled.

The Sunshine Bus Company is still working to reopen all routes throughout the county. To request paratransit services or to obtain additional information regarding the Sunshine Bus Company, call 904-209-3716 or 904-209-3710.

Contact Nancy Quatrano at nancy@nlquatrano.com by 5 p.m. on Fridays if you have information for the column. Put Hastings in the subject line.

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AROUND HASTINGS | Class of 2020 honored in virtual programs - St. Augustine Record

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Malecon of Puerto Plata

PUERTO PLATA.- After alleged pressure from the population, the government authorities in Puerto Plata voided the prohibition that prevented citizens from walking and exercising on the Malecon Avenue.

This measure described as arbitrary was implemented by the government authorities, to keep the social distance in the presence of the COVID-19 virus, a pandemic that keeps the world population in check.

For almost two months, agents from the National Police and the Specialized Tourist Security Corps (Cestur), who by superior orders did not allow people to walk on the Malecon in this Atlantic city, were posted on this road.

In the presence of the uniformed men carrying their respective regulation weapons, some citizens defined this action as a frank violation of freedom of transit and a show of authoritarianism by government authorities.

According to unofficial versions, the opposition from citizens was so intense through calls to radio and television programs and comments on social networks that the authorities had no other alternative than to nullify the prohibition to exercise and walk on the north side of the boardwalk, activities that many Puerto Platans do on a regular basis.

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Lifting restrictions on walking and exercising on the boardwalk in Puerto Plata, DR - Dominican Today

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Many Canadians have turned their homes into offices, classrooms and gyms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With more fitness studios leading virtual classes, working out at home has arguably never been easier. But it doesnt mean its without risk.

There are a few injuries that are common when it comes to at-home workouts, said Chris Edwards, owner and managing director of TriCore Wellness. These include shoulder/neck injuries, and lower back and hip injuries.

READ MORE:Coronavirus closed your gym. Heres how to stay fit at a distance

They are often caused by improperly warming up, rushing through routines, not paying attention to proper form and not resting enough between exercise sets, he said.

These variables can affect the workout effectiveness and increase your risk of injury, Edwards said.

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To work out in the safest way, get your body ready for movement.

Its not wise to jump right into physical activity without preparing the body first, Nekessa Remy, a chiropractor and owner of Mississauga, Ont.-based clinic The Chiropractic Office said in an interview with The Morning Show.

Before you work out, think about wanting to get your heart rate up [and] your muscles ready to work out, she explained.

Start with some dynamic stretching, which will warm the body up. Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretches are active and can include walking lunges, arm circles and high kicks.

Teddy Savage, a Baltimore, Md., certified trainer at Planet Fitness, said your dynamic stretches should mimic the kinds of movements/exercises youll be doing in the workout.

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One movement Remy recommends is a lunge with a twist, which warms up the lower body, core and upper body, she said.

Good form, a safe set-up and proper equipment are key to a quality workout, experts say.

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I understand we are indoors and may think working out barefoot is OK, but its not, Remy said. You want to make sure that youve got a good running shoe with arch support.

READ MORE: How can Canadas parks reopen safely amid coronavirus? Experts weigh in

Repetitive impact has an effect on joints and feet, so you want proper shoes to reduce any chance of injury. Plantar fasciitis, a condition that involves inflammation in the foot, can be caused by activities that put a lot of stress on the heel.

If youre doing high-impact exercises, Remy says to look for running shoes with good cushioning in the heel.

Mats are also vital. Its not advisable to workout on hardwood or carpet, Remy said, and suggests exercising on a thick exercise mat. Research has found that carpets and unsecured rugs can lead to dangerous slipping accidents especially in older adults.

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You also want to ensure theres space around your mat and above your head, as its easy to trip on surrounding items or hit your head on ceilings or lighting fixtures.

Taking a virtual class can help ensure movements are done properly, as working out without guidance can lead to bad form and injury.Edwards has been working virtually with clients through fitness app Trainerize during the pandemic.

Warm-ups, rest periods and communication with the instructor are also apart of our online programs, he said.

Savage agrees that proper form is key to preventing injury. He said focusing on doing movements properly and adequate recovery time is vital.

You should focus more on your flexibility, range of motion, posture and body mechanics rather than how much weight you can press or how many reps you can accomplish, he said.

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Improper form will most certainly lead to injury over time, whereas proper form will generate effectiveness and results.

At the end of your routine, you want to perform static stretches, Savage said, which can help safeguard against injury.

These stretches are more stationary in nature and are meant to loosen the muscles that were just flexed/tightened and bring the heart rate down.

READ MORE: Is it safe to see friends if we stay outside?

Remy said you want to focus on flexibility with your cool-down and hold static stretches for a decent amount of time.

One of my favourites is an imitation of the cat/camel [pose], which you do in yoga, Remy said.

To do this move, stand up tall and interlace your fingers and press hands forward in front of you, allowing your back to round.

This move is good for stretching out your upper back, she said, which is especially helpful for people who spend much of their time at a computer.

Its also important to stretch out the front of your hips, which can get tight from sitting. To do this, Remy said to get into a lunge position. Then, hinge the hip (on the side of your back leg) forward. Do both sides.

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This is a really important muscle to stretch because its often the cause of low back pain, she said.

At the end of the day, listening to your body is key. Dont push yourself if youre in pain, and make sure you get enough rest, sleep and hydration, Edwards said.

Recovery of your muscles, nervous system, and other human system happen when you sleep, he explained.

Many times your body cannot keep up with lifes daily stresses; couple this with poor sleep and recovery, and you have an injury waiting to happen.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

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To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you cant keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

2020 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Working out at home? Heres how to avoid an injury - Global News

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When it comes to losing weight, people often want know the best way to shed excess pounds and theres no shortage of fad diets or fitness crazes claiming to have the secret to fat loss. One theory even suggests that exercising at around 60% of your maximum heart rate will bring our bodies into a so-called fat burning zone, optimal for losing weight.

But does this fat burning zone even exist?

First, its important to understand a little about our metabolism. Even if we were to sit at our desk all day, our body still needs fuel to meet energy demands. This energy comes from carbohydrates, proteins, fats and phosphates. However, the rate at which we use them, and how much we have available, varies between people. It depends on a number of factors, such as dietary intake, age, sex and how hard or often we exercise.

Generally, exercising at lower intensities such as sustained walking or light jogging doesnt require as much effort by our muscles as sprinting, for example. This means the amount of energy needed by the body is lower, so energy supply predominantly comes from fats.

But as exercise intensity increases, fat cant be metabolized fast enough to meet increased energy demand. So the body will use carbohydrates, as these can be metabolized more rapidly. This means there is indeed an exercise intensity where fat is the predominant energy source.

At the lower end of this spectrum is our resting state. Here, the number of calories our body needs to function is considerably low, so the body primarily metabolizes fat to use for energy. This means the potential zone for metabolizing fat is between the rested state and the level of exercise intensity where carbohydrates become the dominant energy source (in terms of percent contribution to energy demand).

But this is a wide range, which lies between a resting heart rate of around 70 beats per minute to around 160 beats per minute during moderate effort exercise (such as cycling at a constant speed where holding a conversation becomes challenging), where the crossover from using fat to carbohydrates for energy occurs.

The issue with such a wide zone is that the person exercising wouldnt necessarily be optimizing their ability to metabolize fat, because as the exercise intensity increases theres a gradual change in the balance of fat and carbohydrates your body uses for energy.

Fat burning zone

So how can we know at which point our body will switch from using fat to other fuels for energy? One approach researchers take is assessing how much fat is being used for energy during different exercise intensities.

By measuring how much air a person expels during an exercise test which gets progressively harder, physiologists have been able to calculate the relative contributions of fat and carbohydrates to meet the exercise demand at different intensities. The highest amount of fat burned is called the maximal fat oxidation rate (or MFO), and the intensity this occurs at is termed FATmax.

Since this method was first used by researchers, studies have shown that as the intensity rises from around 40-70% of a persons VO max which is the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use during exercise theres an increase in the rate of carbohydrates and fats being used. The rate of fat being burned starts to decline at higher intensities as the body requires energy more rapidly.

The so-called fat burning zone has been shown to occur anywhere between about 50-72% of a persons VO max. However, the ability to burn fat is also based on genetics, with studies showing that this fat burning zone is likely to be lower in overweight or obese people around 24-46% of their VO max and higher in endurance athletes.

Another point to consider is how much fat we actually burn during exercise (if we express it in grams per minute). The answer is: surprisingly little. Even in studies with athletes, at FATmax, participants only burned on average a mere 0.5 grams of fat per minute. This would equate to around 30 grams of fat per hour.

In the average person, this appears to be even lower, ranging between 0.1 and 0.4 grams of fat per minute. To put it in perspective, one pound of fat weighs around 454 grams. So, though training in this fat burning zone will help with fat loss, this might also help explain why it takes some people longer to lose fat through exercise.

But there is evidence that following certain diets (such as intermittent fasting or a ketogenic, high fat diet) and longer exercise can increase the actual amount of fat we burn.

Perhaps its time to no longer consider burning fat to have a zone, but rather an individualized sweet spot which can be used to optimize our exercise regimes to lose weight. Regular physical activity around this sweet spot (which typically occurs at a low to moderate feeling of effort, for example 30-60% of your maximal effort, or a perceived exertion level of one to four out of ten) will likely improve our bodys efficiency in using fat for energy and translate to a lower overall body fat percentage.

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Justin Roberts, Principal Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University; Ash Willmott, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, Anglia Ruskin University, and Dan Gordon, Principal Lecturer Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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