Moderate Exercise Wins

Moderation seems to be the ideal sweet spot for a healthy and habit-forming exercise regimen. The key to exercise is learning what you like and falling in love with it so you don't get sick of the same moves. 

A key study in 2012 touts this new message through one of the most compelling studies on the subject from the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. Researchers analyzed over 52,000 American adults who had physicals between 1971-2002. Each participant completed physical testing and questionnaire on their daily physical activity and returned for at least one follow-up visit. They found that 27% of participants reported regular running. They then found that over the course of the study about 3,000 participants died but death was much lower among the group that ran. Participants on average has a decreased risk of dying by 19%. Researchers found that running in moderation proved the best results. 

Too much exercise can do harm. The key is finding the optimal sweet spot, not too much and not too little. Your body is active throughout the day. We were built for physical activity, be it running or walking. Moderate exercise has been highly associated with a longer life span. 

Moderate Exercise Tips:

1. Change it up: Variation yields great results. It's good to embrace high-intensity workouts, just not every single day. By changing it up, you'll confuse your body and that's a good thing.

2. Burn more fat. Slower cardio workouts train your body to use fat as fuel, hence burning it. 

3. Increased energy: Easier paced workouts develop cardiovascular strength, making the heart, lungs and respiratory system more powerful. It also increases the number and size of mitochondria, which are tiny power plants in your cells. The more you have the more energetic you'll feel. 

4. Moderate exercise equals no post-workout hunger: When you go all-in, 100% intensity in a workout, there's a tendency to compensate for those extra calories burned. Eating unhealthy foods after a workout will completely negate all of the benefits. Some studies show that moderate exercise leaves you feeling less hungry afterwards and less likely to consume a fatty meal.