When Bob was almost 30, he was very tight in his own skin. “I ate healthily and could be seen at the gym three times a week or more often. Family life is now swallowing me up and I’ve put on a lot of kilos. I’m definitely not tight anymore, and that’s no surprise: I can’t exercise all the time anymore.”

Now Bob (now 39 years old) wants to know which sport he should practice to lose weight – preferably in a short period of time. “I’m open to everything, but I don’t know what works best and fastest.”

Dietitian and Food Psychologist Eveline van de Waterloot This question is often asked because ‘if we want to lose weight or be more toned, we want to see results yesterday’. “I understand that very well. But my answer is that many people are initially disappointed, although it ultimately provides better results and less effort. That answer is: the game you play works best. Longer. In other words, the game you enjoy the most.”

If you’re just looking at the amount of calories you burn during exercise, Van de Waterloot recommends running. Although it’s hard to say exactly how many calories you’re burning, it depends on many factors, such as your weight, speed, and the temperature you’re running in. On that day This website You can calculate how many calories you burn with certain activities.

Strength training versus cardio

However, if you want to see quick results, the dietitian recommends strength training. “You burn fewer calories with strength training than with cardio sports like swimming, running or cycling. But with less muscle tissue, the so-called ‘basal metabolism’ is lower. (You’re burning energy to keep warm and keep your heart pumping.) With strength training, you increase your muscle mass, which also increases your basal metabolism.”

“That means your burn is higher during the day (and at night) and you burn more calories. Also, strength training makes you tighter than cardio, resulting in a short and long-term boost. That’s why I like. Strength training on top of cardio if you want to work on your figure. Recommend. A combination of cardio and strength training is absolutely optimal,” says van de Waterloot.

“But the question Bob has to ask himself is: Do you want quick and short results, or do you want to be comfortable in your own skin in the long run? Because if you only do the end game, you’ll come out on top. Sometimes with very convincing excuses. ‘I’m tired, right now.’ No energy to exercise’, ‘I’m too busy to exercise’, ‘I don’t need to exercise tomorrow’, ‘It’s raining’ or ‘I deserve an evening bed.

Chances of success are high

If you do a sport you like or a social environment you enjoy, according to a food psychologist, you’re more likely to actually start exercising and stick with it for longer, which increases the likelihood of results. “Don’t know where to start? Ask people in your area what they’re doing about the sport and suggest you come along. Or take a few different trial lessons; these are often offered for free.”

Van de Waterloot advises Bob to check whether he likes a team sport or a sport himself. “The game element in a team game makes the game more fun. If you’re just playing the game, you can track your performance in an app like this. Running with Eevee Or using a game watch.

Whatever Bob chooses, the dietitian advises him not to set the bar too high. “The saying ‘runners are dead runners’ certainly applies to other sports as well. I often see people start exercising longer and longer. But you’re less likely to keep it up for long. You don’t have to do it six times a week right away. Work out for an hour and a half. Then You’ll get injured faster, not keeping it next to your busy schedule, and lose your whole goal because you’re throwing in the towel and back to square one.”

Only more play = less results

Van de Waterloot says pop should focus not only on the game, but also on the food. “Exercise alone is often less effective. Also, you’re more likely to overeat while you exercise. This means you may see little or no benefit because you’ll compensate for the extra calories you’re consuming by taking in the extra calories you’re consuming. Keep track of nutrition.” MyFitnessPal Or Eating meterOr consult a dietician.”

Vigorous exercise is also important

If exercise doesn’t fit into your schedule, you can make sure you incorporate more exercise into your daily life. Here’s how you do it:

• Take a walk during lunch.
• Instead of sitting and talking with a colleague, take a walk outside together.
• Schedule movement into your calendar.
• Find a workout buddy.
• Participate in a different one each month Challenge. For example, consider Board Challenge or the Squat Challenge.
• Put on a (used) exercise bike or cross trainer in front of the TV and your favorite series, and your workout is over before you know it.

Source: Eveline van de Waterlaat

Genre: Asking a Friend

In this weekly column Asking a friend We submit readers’ questions about health to one of our experts. Do you have a pressing health question for your GP, OB/GYN, dietician, psychologist or other healthcare professional? Send it to weekendm[email protected] and a reply will appear here as soon as possible.