Updated 15 November 2018, Marc Woodard

Any type of physical activity will stimulate the body’s natural release of feel good chemicals to help you lose weight and experience daily well-being.

It is the activation of muscle metabolism during low impact aerobics exercise that will activate these feel good chemicals – while simultaneously melting away body fat.

Once you relate and apply the information that follows – it only takes a little will power to begin chipping away at your weight loss goals and experience well-being daily.

The advantage of low intensity aerobics exercise is it stimulates both the fat burning metabolic engine and activates addictive feel good body chemicals. Unlike high intensity strength and muscle bulking development; and high intensity aerobic exercise – these activities more or less suppress the fat burning engine to varying degree.

What many consumers don’t know is during low-intensity aerobic exercise the muscles metabolism prefers to burn fat fuel. That’s right the  metabolic energy needed to walk over a period of time prefers stored body fat to convert to glucose to fuel the large muscles in the legs and buttocks area.

The same muscles during high-intensity aerobics exercise like running and high impact aerobic dance for instance prefer mostly stored liver and muscle glycogen fuel to convert it to blood glucose [sugar].

The harder you train muscles in the body the less body fat you burn. That’s a major reason high intensity exercise makes you crave carbohydrates after you’ve finished the workout. And for that reason – IS the reason those folks have a hard time losing excess body weight.

The point is, you don’t have to train hard to lose body fat and excess body weight.

The second point I want to make, regardless of training intensity the body will produce chemicals to addict you to exercise whether your building muscle, increasing muscular endurance, or toning the body. But if you’re consuming a stimulant, diuretic or anabolic steroid or heavy herb concentrate supplement to “fast pace” any fitness goal, the natural chemicals released by the body will be suppressed and you’ll become addicted to an unnatural chemical supplement that may increase health risk. You may look and feel good [loss weight, or build muscle, etc.] for a while; but then bad at some point in time…

Unnatural fitness results through the use of fads, gimmicks, supplements and herbal diets are often short lived because their not sustainable habits. In the long run when applying these tactics to achieve a fitness goal – “too often,” may eventually break the fat burning (known as yo-yo dieting), or hormonal metabolism and increase health risk; then cause excessive weight gain.

Once you connect how exercise and healthy whole foods dieting increases body chemical activation versus an unnatural fad-dietary course, you’ll better understand there is no good reason to “fast pace” a fitness result (e.g., weight loss). Thereafter you can avoid the pit falls of unsustainable lifestyle habits and ill-health consequences.

The 3 major chemicals the brain/body releases naturally during exercise and supports sustainable healthy weight loss…

1) Adrenaline a neurotransmitter and hormone produced by the adrenalin gland just above the kidneys, also known as norepinephrine and epinephrine (provides attention focus in brain). Together these chemicals activate your fight or flight stimulation designed to get the body out of a stressful situation, or survive an injury scenario. It acts as a natural pain killer, boosts oxygen and glucose fuel to brain, muscles and suppresses depression.

2) Dopamine is produced and synthesized in the brain which boosts positive behavior, cognition, motor activity, motivation, sleep, mood, learning and attention.

3) Serotonin is synthesized within the CNS (Central Nervous System). This chemical is also found in many mushrooms, plants, fruits and vegetables.

Research shows Serotonin plays an important role in liver regeneration and induces cell division throughout the body (important for repair and healing of the body). Serotonins role as a neurotransmitter of the brain is to modulate anger, mood, aggression, sleep, sexuality, appetite and metabolism.

People are motivated to move or walk for different reasons. Once you find something that motivates you to move more… you’ll enjoy the natural brain-body feel good chemicals; and want to repeat the low impact aerobics exercise experience daily.

Continuous low impact aerobic exercise like walking, hiking, dancing or riding a bike will release those feel good chemicals and cause “for most” an addictive habit to form – whereas you’ll want to continue the course.  It will take approximately 1-2 weeks to become addicted to daily low-impact walk habit for example.

Everyone differs slightly in metabolism, exercise and activity interest, intensity, frequency and duration of exercise activity daily. For many daily low impact aerobics exercise will cause an instant craving to continue the course.

To maximize the odds of achieving a fitness, health or wellness goal four behavioral habits must be addressed if applicable. 1) Stop substance abuse. 2) Eat a balanced and nutritious diet. 3) Allow your brain-body the time to become addicted to the body’s natural feel good chemicals released through low-impact aerobics exercise activity. 4) Remove yourself from unhealthy and stressful environments.

The increased exercise activities experienced by former clients did not require a lot of will power to perform low-impact aerobics exercise to achieve significant fitness results.

But it did require some lifestyle changes.

For example, when beginning a daily walk program it doesn’t’ require much will power to get started. But it does require a commitment. In other words, the excuse I often hear people use to avoid any form of exercise, “I don’t have the time.” But if you can make the time you’ll lose weight and feel better almost immediately once you start. Then become addicted to it within 2-5 days.

The best New Year’s fitness resolution advice I could give anyone, as I’ve done with so many past clients… start a daily walk habit. Walking is the best low impact fat burning activity whose large muscles prefer fat stored energy and it’s easy on weight bearing joints.

I assure you, if you walk a little each day, you’ll begin to release more of those feel good chemicals. Then body fat will decrease and you’ll have more energy and feel lighter on your feet. You’ll begin to look and feel better in no time.

If you’ve been sedentary for a long time, walking at first may seem uncomfortable and maybe feel unnatural. But if you can work up to 15 or 30 minutes or more each day you’ll have significant fitness results success.

Keep this in mind. Before the automobile how did we survive?

As hunters and gatherers our bodies are designed to get work done by walking. Walking is a very natural and a primal thing we’re designed to do for a lifetime. I guarantee – if you maintain your walking muscle metabolism you’ll become addicted to sustaining it, and in return for your efforts your body will allow you to live life to the fullest.

I’ve had plenty of overweight clients walk or ride a stationary bike for a year before they achieved their weight loss fitness goal. Thereafter participated in a competitive long distance walk, hike, jog or ran or biked a marathon event. They never imagined themselves capable of doing anything like it.  They simply believed it possible because they could relate to the muscle metabolism and feel the chemical activation truth working within their brain-body.

Be excited about all the possibilities that lie in front of you and enjoy life to the fullest by maintaining a daily low impact aerobics exercise habit! Now go get addicted to the natural feel good drugs produced by your own body and reap the ideal body weight, longevity, wellness and health benefits!

Author: Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2018 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Get Free Newsletter.