New Leaf Metabolic Testing Can Fine-Tune Your Workout

Everything you put into your mouth is fuel for your life. Getting and keeping your body working they way you want means knowing what your engine burns: This is your metabolism. How much fuel and what kind of fuel is it using at different speeds? Even if you feel you got a sputtering beater of a body, there is a lot you can do to tune it up and get it to perform at its best. Not every car needs the same tuneup. Exactly how much fuel does your body need? Too much or too little both lead to breakdowns, so what do you need to do? Not all exercise does the same thing for the body. What does your engine need to do to burn calories more efficiently? How will you find this out?The New Leaf metabolic testing is your answer. A resting test determines your personal basil metabolic rate. There are formulas based on your age, weight and muscle mass, but they can be off by 500 calories -- that’s a weight gain of a pound per week! To know truly how much to eat, you must start with knowing how much your body burns at rest. Lifestyle and exercise is just as important. Not only does lifestyle and exercise burn more calories, but training at the right intensity for your body changes how many calories you burn at rest.The second New Leaf metabolic test is to determine your personal heart rate zones for effective exercise. Your two fuel sources are fat and carbs. At different heart rates, you will burn a different mixture of these fuels. While doing high intensity exercise burns a lot of calories, they could be coming primarily from carbs. While some may say the more burned the better no matter where they come from, in the long run it makes a difference for more easily maintaining your weight. You want to train your body to burn more fat at rest and in exercise. To do that you need to know what heart rate zones to train in. This is different for each individual and will change over time with training and lifestyle.Whether you want to lose weight, maintain weight with less effort, or get across a finish line, knowing your body’s caloric needs and output is essential. The question is, what do you do with the numbers once you get them? This is when a personal trainer or endurance sports coach can make your personal metabolism, lifestyle and goals into a plan you can follow.To learn more about New Leaf, visit their site. To get started with a test, contact Uptown and Downtown Fitness Coordinator Julie Fearing, Midtown Fitness Coordinator Ann Haugejorde or Endurance Sports Coordinator Nicole Cueno.