How Diet and Exercise Work Together to Make a Better You

We have been hearing it our entire adult lives: diet and exercise are the key to good health. We all know to be careful about what we eat. We know that daily exercise, like indoor cycling for example, is necessary to maintain overall good health. Yet how many of us think of these two things as separate entities?

It is easy to think about diet in terms of losing weight. Some people think of exercise in the same way. But in reality, diet and exercise work together to make for a healthier person. Moreover, the whole diet thing is better expressed as nutrition. It is about feeding our body the food it needs to be as healthy as possible. The word 'diet' is technically correct, but it often has connotations of starving ourselves to shed some pounds.

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Better Results When Combined

A Stanford University study published in 2013 showed the benefits of combining the diet and exercise mindsets. Known as the CALM study, it enrolled two hundred participants age 44 and over who were generally considered below standard in both diet and exercise. All two hundred participants expressed a desire to improve their lifestyles.

Researchers divided the participants into four groups:

  • Group 1 – Nutrition counseling for four months, then nutrition and exercise counseling for the next eight.

  • Group 2 – Exercise counseling for four months, then nutrition and exercise counseling for the next eight.

  • Group 3 – 12 months of combined nutrition and exercise counseling.

  • Group 4 (control) – 12 months of counseling to reduce stress.

The first and second groups met the goal for which they received 12 months of counseling. The control group met none of its goals. Only the third group – the one with combined counseling for 12 months – succeeded in reaching all of its goals.

Indoor Cycling Just One Part of the Goal

Here at Mcycle, we obviously support anyone who decides to pursue indoor cycling as a means of getting healthier. But cycling is just one part of a much larger goal. If your goal is to be healthier overall, regular exercise is a good start. Getting on the bike for two or three 30-minute sessions per week will certainly help your drive to become healthier. But you need good nutrition to go along with it.

For the record, we are not nutritionists. Here in our cycling studio, we specialize in high energy exercise that combines indoor cycling with upper body movements and motivational music. We could offer some general suggestions on changing your diet, but a nutritionist is ultimately the expert in that field. Thankfully, there is plenty of excellent nutritional information available online.

Giving Your Body the Fuel It Needs

When you combine good nutrition with a regular exercise program, you improve your overall health. The exercise works every part of your body to keep it healthy. Meanwhile, good nutrition gives your body the fuel it needs to perform. And believe us when we say it needs plenty of fuel.

Every time you get on your bike, your body needs fuel to work the pedals. It needs fuel to work your upper body, to make sure you keep breathing, to activate its cooling system so you don't overheat, and so forth. And then it needs fuel to repair and rebuild after your exercise session is over.

Diet and exercise work together to make a healthier you. If you would like to know more, get in touch with us here at Mcycle. We can help get you started with regular cycling classes that will get your body moving again.

MCYCLE