Exercise. Food. How do the two interact? Do we get hungrier when we work out? Do we eat more?
I have to admit, exercise is not a top-of-mind activity for me, despite the fact that I know that it should be. But in the constant battle against gaining weight (or losing it, depending which phase I am in), I ran across a study that may get me to rethink my attitude toward exercise.
In a recent study conducted at BYU, researchers found that 45 minutes of exercise (moderate to vigorous) early in the day can potentially curb your appetite. One finding of the study that really interested me is women in the study didn’t eat more on the days they exercised to “make up” for the extra calories they burned.
To be honest, mornings and I get along about as well as exercise and I get along, but this could be real motivation for me. I have been intending to get an exercise routine started, and trying to watch what I eat, so maybe this is my answer.
While the study was relatively small, its findings are encouraging to me. I want to be more conscious about my health, and the elliptical in my basement sometimes mocks me when I get home from work after a long day.
So this study, in conjunction with the fact that I’d rather get sweaty before I take a shower, might help me win that morning battle with my alarm clock.
What motivates you to exercise or eat better? I am always looking for ideas. If you have tips that work for you, share them in the comments below. I’d love to hear them, and I expect that our readers would too!
