How the Wrong Type of Exercise Can Trash Your Immune System and Trigger Weight Gain
Hey, it’s Dr. Jade Teta here.
Most people believe the best way to get fit and stay healthy is to eat less and exercise more.
But what if “exercising more” could make you gain weight in the long-term?
My 30 years of experience shows — and the science confirms — that most types of “traditional exercise” can really set you back.
I’m talking about medium intensity exercise for 30 minutes or longer… that forces you to “pace yourself” to make it all the way through… like jogging or intense aerobic group workouts.
These activities might SEEM healthy. But for many people, they can actually stress out the metabolism… which jacks up hunger and cravings… and drives you to overeat (and gain weight).
Keep in mind, your metabolism, your body and your brain are still wired for “caveman life.” Humans have only lived in this modern way — with comfort, cleanliness and consistently full stomachs — for maybe a few hundred years.
But your metabolism is an ancient program. It’s like it hasn’t updated its software yet. So, when you break into a run, your metabolism doesn’t think, “Ahh, some lovely exercise…”
It thinks you’re being chased by a lion and you might die.
Seriously.
So, it sends out the stress hormone cortisol to give you the extra speed and stamina you need to survive.
Now, in short bursts, cortisol is a good thing. Your metabolism is trying to save your life. But if cortisol stays high… say, for the length of an hour-long jog… the metabolism and body get very stressed out.
Excess cortisol can not only trigger cell-damaging inflammation… studies show it can force fat gain, especially on the belly.
Now, I’m not saying that all exercise is evil or you can’t do your favorite kick boxing class. The point here is, more than 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise, multiple days a week, can trigger excess hunger in the short-term, which can lead to overeating… and inflammation in the long-term, which can lead to illness and pain.
I explain the science behind this concept in the video lesson below.
I’ll also tell you a little more about the RIGHT type of exercise to focus on. This specific type of exercise sends out the right concoction of metabolic hormones that help your body burn fat, build muscle, and boost your immune system — all at once.
Check it out:
Remember, the most EFFECTIVE thing you can do to boost immunity is to strengthen your metabolism, because your metabolism POWERS your immune system.
And doing the right type of exercise is one of the four key ways to build a strong, flexible metabolism. (You can find the other three here on the Metabolic Living blog.)
I hope you’re enjoying this free immune system crash course. Please feel free to leave us a comment or question below!