What is better for weight loss?
Longer Cardio Workouts or Higher Cardio Intensity?
Working out to lose weight can be frustrating if not confusing. The internet is overcrowded with different methods that all claim to be the best way. But what about how long to work out? Is someone who walks on a treadmill for an hour burning more calories than a person in a 30 minute spin class? Does a short High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout really work? At Cryo Innovations we believe that all exercise is good exercise, but we also acknowledge that some routines are better for some people and their day-to-day planning.
How Does Cardio Burn Calories?
Cardio exercise burns calories by putting your body into a caloric deficit. The human body needs a certain amount of calories to maintain homeostasis and have enough energy to get us through the day. Unfortunately in our society food has become so prevalent and calorie dense that we consume more than we need, and our bodies store the extra calories as fat. To lose that extra weight a person can eat less and exercise more. If the energy demand for the body is greater than the amount of calories consumed a caloric deficit is created and the body must burn stored fat for energy, resulting in weight loss over time. For example, a 200 pound man who is 6 feet tall and moderately active needs approximately 3000 calories per day. For that man to enter into a caloric deficit he needs to cut his calories to 2200 calories per day.¹ To reach 2200 calories he can eat less and workout more. To burn an additional 500-800 calories he can use whole body cryotherapy after his workout to manage weight and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness.
Is Working Out Longer Better?
Some fitness experts will claim that you should workout slow-and-steady for a long period of time. They base their opinion on exercise safety: people who are new to exercise or elderly are safer if the exercise is low impact and easy to follow. For those who are experienced with exercise a long workout can be a nice break from intense exercise sessions and classes. Some athletes have become accustomed to long games and use a lengthy cardio session as a way to maintain their endurance. Critics of a long cardio sessions point out that it is harder to stay on track with a routine because it is not always easy to take an hour or more to work out everyday. Things happen that upset the schedule, which makes it less likely that positive results will be seen, and people lose heart. It can also have a reverse weight loss effect: if you exercise too long you may become ravenously hungry and justify overeating or eating something not healthy. In addition, repetitive exercise can cause overuse injuries that can end up preventing going to the gym because of pain.
Is Working Out For A Short Time Better?
With the HIIT craze and spin class gyms opening in every city it is an interesting question: is a shorter cardio workout better? Shorter cardio is believed to be better because of its intensity: fast sprints, quick jumps, and lots of sweat. This will absolutely burn calories and is argued to be a better workout because it is easier to fit into a schedule. Unlike a long workout a 30 minute spin class can be done without having to give up much time, making more likely that you will stick to the routine. Critics claim that it can be bad as it can lead to overuse injuries or overtraining as too much exercise can actually put someone into a catabolic state.
Is Cryotherapy Good To Manage Weight?
If you are trying to manage your weight you can save more money by purchasing a package deal of cryotherapy sessions instead of paying an expensive trainer to motivate you. One session of whole body cryotherapy can burn 500-800 calories in 3 minutes to boost your workout AND help your muscles feel better. Gym goers and even elite athletes can benefit from whole body cryotherapy as it immediately addresses muscle soreness, fatigue, and athletic recovery on a cellular level.
How does it work? Whole body cryotherapy chambers use liquid nitrogen to cool the body in sub-zero cold dry air that chills the skin’s surface. Skin maintains a normal homeostatic temperature of about 92°F at rest, but a unique mechanism is triggered when the skin’s surface reaches below 70°F. At temperatures this low the body senses a need to generate heat for survival through a process called thermogenesis, and a need to protect the body which it does through vasoconstriction.
Thermogenesis occurs through shivering and a metabolic activity that burns calories to generate heat. Vasoconstriction occurs when the circulatory system near the skin’s surface constricts to push the blood to the core of the body to keep it warm. If the cold exposure is longer than 60 seconds the body does something that benefits everyone: it hyper-oxygenates the blood and loads it with inflammation fighting enzymes and hormones. Why? The human body does not know what type of “damage” is being caused by the cold and prepares the body to heal itself. This results in a natural and drug-free pain relief and less delayed onset muscle soreness so you can go back to the gym with less stiffness and pain.
Founded on facts: for peer-reviewed articles, scholarly journals, and articles cited above please see the below sources.
For most Americans a 2000 calorie per day diet is recommended based upon a moderately active adult female weighing 132 pounds. This 2000 calorie number originated from the FDA proposed single-standard of daily calorie intake based upon USDA survey data. The number 2000 is not intended as a goal for everyone; instead, it is a simple number that is to be used as a reference point based upon your body type.