Rachel Larson

How does exercise impact metabolism?

For the purpose of this article, we’ll think of “activity” and “exercise” as separate activities. Activity can be defined as natural movement that is part of our activities of daily living (moving the lawn, cleaning the house, walking to the mailbox, walking around during our errands, shopping, etc.). Exercise is defined as structured and intentional movement at a higher intensity and purpose than our usual activities. Examples: Lifting weights, running or brisk walking, aerobics classes, Yoga or other.

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We impact our metabolism (energy used/needed) with exercise in three ways:

1. Calories burned during the workout session.

This is what we see in our workout summary on our fitness trackers. How many calories did I use? What was my average heart rate? How hard did I work? Etc. The very act of exercise causes us to consume more calories than if we didn’t do it. This is the obvious part of the story, right? Of course we exercise to burn calories, but there is more. (Of course!)
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2. Calories burned immediately after your workout session.

This is the “after burn” – the phenomenon known as EPOC or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. When we workout hard enough to reach an anaerobic state, the body requires more time and energy to “recover” and restore back to a steady state. This means more energy burned after the workout is over. At least there is a bonus to super tough workouts! A typical HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout will deliver these benefits. The drawback is, many of us don’t like pushing so hard or have physical limitations that prevent us from working out at this level. If you are up for it – great!
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3. Muscle built during workouts.

• This is the exciting part. When we build muscle, we use more calories in general. According to Johnstone, et al. (2005), muscle is 5 times more metabolically active than fat. This means that if you build more muscle, your body will need more calories or energy to just maintain those muscle cells. Strong people can consume more calories and maintain a healthy weight. Lifting weights, doing weight-bearing activities and keeping fit allows you more flexibility with your eating. Finally some good news!
• Think of muscle building as a weight maintenance strategy. Investing dedicated time each week to build muscle will reap rewards over time as you build a more robust metabolism. Not only will you have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight, you might find your shape change and inches lost as your body adjusts to your new svelte self.
• The good news is that strength training is accessible for everyone. You can lift weights or use your body weight to generate strength without high impact (jumping), or uncomfortable cardio.

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Ready to get started? Try Flostate’s Total Body Strength Circuit (30 min) or Sunrise Strength & Stretch (30 min) class formats. Commit to 2-3 strength workouts each week and make an investment in your health that will pay dividends in the future!

We know that sitting for most of the workday is bad for our bodies, but what do we do when this is part of our job? Is there a way to “offset” the effects of sitting?

What is optimal?

According to Columbia University researchers Duran et al., 2023, walking 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of sitting is the optimal dose of movement to improve blood sugar regulation, mood, fatigue and blood pressure. Five different movement patterns were tested and the dose of 5 minutes of walking for every 20-30 minutes produced the greatest positive effect physiologically and mentally in participants.
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Can I “store up” my minutes and walk 80 minutes at the end of the day?

Although a long walk is great for our health, the point is that even small doses of movement have big effects! Ideally, we would break up the workday and add movement between meetings. This study tested participants actually getting up every 30 minutes to move for 5 minutes. This means that instead of “saving up” our 5 minute walking times to apply at the end of the workday, we should get up during the workday to walk and move.
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How do I apply this? It seems a little daunting…

This may seem like a daunting task, but with planning and intention, we can make this happen! Here’s how:

Start small

• If you sit all day and don’t currently walk or exercise to break up the day, you can start by setting a timer once per day to get up and walk for 5 minutes. Arrange your schedule so this actually happens.
• Alternatively, get up each hour for 1 minute and walk around. You can fit that in, right? Yes- you can! Even 1 minute of movement every 60 minutes has been shown to improve blood pressure.

Decide that this matters

• You can improve your health by moving more frequently and strategically each day. You work so you can enjoy your life and have the things you need. News flash- you will need your health to enjoy your life! So, get moving. Decide that it matters and do it.

Check in with yourself daily

• How close did you get to moving 5 minutes every 30 minutes? Write down each time you get up to move during the day. How many check marks do you have at the end of each day? Set a goal to maintain or improve everyday.
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Movement does matter! What you do each day consistently, even small things, add up to big results over time.

Everyone knows that exercise is good for humans.  But, did you know that exercise is one of the most effective ways to maintain brain health?  

Why is improving brain health important?

• 5.8M people in the United States over the age of 65 have dementia. 80% are 75 or older. Two thirds of them are women (Alzheimer’s Association, 2020).
• By 2050, a projected 13.8M people aged 75 and older will have dementia. (Alzheimer’s Association, 2020)

Incorporating exercise into daily routines is a foundational strategy to maintain brain health and improve quality of life with higher levels of energy, strength and brain function.  The best results happen when we combine cardiovascular, strength and mind-body exercise (cognitively challenging) exercise into our weekly routines. This is good news for Flostate members – we are already doing this!  You just have to show up for class (or planfully use the on-demand library).

Here are some benefits to each form of exercise:

Why do Cardio?

According to the work of John Ratey, in Spark, increasing heart rate to 60-70% of maximum heart rate for even 10 minutes positively changes the brain. 35 minutes increases cognitive flexibility and executive function.  This means faster thinking and better decisions!

Strength Training Perks:

Strength training builds not only muscles, but bones.  A stronger and more active body means healthier mitochondria and faster metabolism.  The boost in circulation and healthy cells enhances your brain health.

Yoga/Pilates and MindBody Fitness:

Practicing balance, connecting with one’s abilities, and challenging the mind and body to move in multiple patterns while learning new skills is critical to brain health.  Increasing body awareness, strength, focus, and balance all lead to a great sense of confidence, increase neuroplasticity (flexibility and growth of the brain). It also reduces the incidence of falls and fear of falling.

Your weekly exercise recommendation:

Strength Train: 2 times per Week.

Join Alice’s live Dumbbell Essentials class or grab other strength training classes from our on-demand library.

Cardio: 2-5 Sessions per Week.

Need a jolt of higher level thinking?  Do some cardio before your next important presentation.  Even 8-15 minutes makes a difference.  Challenge yourself to 25 minutes at least 2 days a week. Try our live Cardio Core with Arm Tone Blast or sample other cardiio classes from our ono-demand library.

Yoga/Mindbody: 2 Sessions per Week.

Try our signature Yoga Restore Flo or Balanced Body Method class live or on-demand. Any class that requires you to be breathing, and thinking carefully about your body movement while challenging your balance and concentration is key.

Questions?  Reach out to Rachel at info@theflostate.com.  See you in class!