"Pay attention to total physical activity!
Exercise can help with fat loss because it's a tool to increase total daily energy expenditure. However, some people can end up compensating for exercise by being sedentary the rest of the day. In fact, some people may overcompensate and have less total daily energy expenditure.
This graph is from a study I reviewed in the February 2021 issue of the Weightology Research Review. Women were put on an exercise program, and total daily energy expenditure was tracked.
By the end of the exercise program, some women were successful in increasing their total daily energy expenditure (the blue group). However, another group DECREASED their total daily energy expenditure (the orange group).
What happened? This group compensated for their exercise program by being sedentary the rest of the day. In fact, on non-exercise days, they were MORE sedentary than what they were before they started their exercise program. In other words, their non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) went DOWN.
As a trainer or coach, you only see your client perhaps for an hour, 2-5 days per week. But what your client does OUTSIDE of exercise sessions matters just as much. It's why I like to have people track steps outside of exercise sessions, to make sure they aren't compensating by being more sedentary.
NEAT matters a lot for successful fat loss. It's not just about exercise.
If you want a more detailed analysis of this study (and other research), check out the Weightology Research Review. We cover 6-8 studies per month, and subscribers get access to all back content."-James Krieger
