Getting a Health Plan that Works

For a person to get into shape, it’s not enough that he follows a meal plan or regularly exercise: Multiple studies have found that a combination of diet and fitness is the best way to improve a person’s health. This combination – recommended by both the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association – is one of the best ways to prevent disease, maintain a healthy weight, and improve cardiovascular fitness.
Other benefits of combining diet and exercise include the following:
The ability to regulate a healthy body weight
Better muscle tone and a thinner appearance
Improved resistance against cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers
Increased insulin sensitivity, which helps prevent metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes
Reduced stress
Better sleep
Improved immunity
One way this is done is by balancing calories that go into the body (through food) and go out of it (through exercise). In essence, this model indicates that for a person to lose weight he needs to burn more calories through exercise than that which came in with food. As a person continues to exercise more to burn more calories, his energy needs will also increase, allowing the body to take in more food without gaining weight. However, maintaining balance is essential: Most people overcompensate one or the other, leading in cases where they actually gain more weight than burn it.