Why do so many people struggle with fat loss? Are you the tortise or the hare?

About 80% of the U.S. population does not meet physical activity recommendations, with many people citing a perceived lack of time. However, exercise not only benefits changes in body composition when combined with a weight loss diet, but also plays a key role in long-term weight loss maintenance. Interval training has been proposed to be a time-efficient alternative to steady-state cardio for improving health and fitness.

When it comes to losing your gut, the intensity of exercise doesn’t matter so much. The caloric expenditure of the exercise session more important variable. Exercise may not be all that for fat loss, but it certainly impacts fitness and health improvement. As such, all forms of exercise should be encouraged despite their relatively minimal contribution to fat loss. Strength training is especially important for developing lean body mass. High-intensity training such as interval endurance training appears to be more effective at reducing inflammation and increasing insulin sensitivity than lower-intensity training such as steady-state cardio.

A focus should be placed on how the exercise session of your choice impacts other areas of your life, such as appetite, food intake, and leisure-time physical activity. A focus should also be placed on whether you can see yourself sticking with your chosen exercise modality for the long-term.

Individuals should focus on goal setting, and building social support with individuals that have the same goals in mind.

Take time to write down your goals and a plan to reach those goals! Your health is just as important, if not more than your daily activities.