There are many false beliefs that state that sports aren’t a good way to lose weight. These so called experts believe that only way to burn calories is through isolated exercise and by use of sports.
But there is clear and comprehensive evidence that proves that sports are just as good, if not better, at helping one lose weight.
There are some sports that can work out your whole body and burn more calories in less amount of time, as compared to normal exercises.
Here are the most important reasons why you should opt for sports to lose weight:
Sweat the Weight Off
Many people go through the motions when they exercise. They hardly even sweat a little because either they are not giving it their all or their body is used to it.
Lack of sweat means that their body is not even warmed up properly.
The temperature rise is what makes the body burn calories and if the temperature remains the same the whole exercise routine is worth nothing.
Now imagine yourself taking part in an individual sport like boxing and throwing punches in your boxing gloves or a team sport like basketball. There likelihood of you not breaking a sweat is slim.
When you start boxing, you use your whole body and move around to get your heart rate up.
In basketball you have to run up and down the court, jump and move in different directions.
Both these examples show that sports offer a variety of movement and intensity that will have you pouring with sweat.
Varying Levels of Intensity
It has been scientifically proven that mixing low intensity and high intensity physical activities is more appropriate for weight loss than maintaining the same level of intensity throughout your regimen.
If we take the examples of sports above, boxing and basketball, then you can clearly see that sports naturally have intensity variations.
In boxing, you have sudden high intensity movements and after that you can step back and catch your breath before you have to raise the intensity once again.
In basketball, you have quick bursts of speed, full on sprints and then moments where you have to stand and normalize your breathing.
The variety of intensity is what helps people in sports lose more weight faster than people who exercise at the same pace all the time. It also has advantages that last a lifetime.
Burn Fat and Carbohydrates
When you run slowly, you burn fat.
But carbs are not burned which become fat later.
When you run fast, you burn carbs.
But fat stays put.
This is true for every exercise that you do. This is why the aforementioned intensity variation is so important. It helps you burn both carbs and fat.
Your body known when it needs to burn fat and when it needs to convert the carbohydrates you eat into fat. You have to raise the intensity level and then decrease it again to burn both elements.
That is the best approach for weight loss.
Diet and Sports
It is important to dispel another false notion here;sports is amazing for weight loss so you don’t have to be on a strict diet.
Let’s just get it straight – for effective weight loss, you need to restrict your diet.
Only then will sports, or any other physical activity, will have an impact on your weight.
What you do while you partake in the sport burns the calories. But what you do after or before the sport is what cuts off or limits the supply of calories.
An important thing to remember here is that your body has a limited storage capacity for carbs, but fat accumulation can be limitless. So bear that in mind when you think about leaving your diet behind.
The amount of activity you perform in an amount of time is of significance when you are trying to lose weight.
Doing isolated exercises in 1 hour involves less activity then say boxing or training for boxing in one hour does.Sports involve multi directional movements, usage of muscles in your whole body and rest periods all combined to give you a complete workout in a short span of time.
The information above should be more than adequate to convince you that taking up a sport is the best way to reach your weight loss goals. Plus, excitement and competition are perfect bonuses to keep your motivation levels high.