How Soon Should You See Results From Exercise?

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You’ve just started a new exercise program and you can’t wait to see those inches start melting away. Most people are motivated when they first start an exercise program, but as the days go by and they still can’t slip into a size six pair of jeans they start to get a little inpatient. How long does it to take see results from exercise?

How Long to See Results From Exercise?

Exercise actually has benefits right away – although not in the form of weight loss or lost inches. After twenty minutes of exercising at a moderate pace, you’ll get the benefits of endorphins, the same brain chemicals that give joggers a “runner’s high”. It can be a challenge to do the first twenty minutes of a workout - especially if you exercise in the morning. But after the endorphins kick in and the blood starts pumping, it begins to feel good – in a strange sort of way. You’re going to feel better from a mental standpoint – even after your first workout.

How Long to See Results From Exercise in Terms of Weight Loss?

It’s frustrating when you work out religiously - and still weigh the same when you step on the scale. In some cases, you may even weigh a little more for the first few weeks of exercise. This isn’t unusual. If you’re doing resistance training, the rate of muscle growth can outpace fat loss particularly if you’re not doing enough cardiovascular exercise. Since muscle weighs more than fat, you may increase slightly in weight as you build lean body mass - even if you’re losing fat. Pay attention to how your clothes fit or get a scale that measures body fat percentage. Make sure you’re doing enough cardiovascular exercise.

Patience is important when it comes to seeing results from exercise. To lose a pound you need to burn an additional 500 calories a day - if you’re trying to lose through exercise alone. Many people overestimate the number of calories they burn during a workout and often overcompensate by eating too much. Keep an accurate record of how many calories you burn through exercise and how many you take in for a few weeks if you’re not losing weight. Don’t trust the “calories burned” readings on the equipment at the gym. These machines often overestimate calories by up to twenty percent.

Seeing Results From Exercise: The Bottom Line

It takes at least six to weight weeks to see any tangible changes from an exercise program. Small changes occur sooner, but you’re unlikely to notice them because they’re happening so slowly. Take a picture of yourself in a bathing suit before your start out and another one at three and six months. If you’re work out hard and watch what you eat, chances are you’ll like what you see.

by Dr. Kristie References: Oxygen’s Ultimate Beach Body. Page 66.