If you’ve been exercising without any inside info about your metabolism, there’s a good chance you’ve been pushing yourself harder than you need to. Think back to the last time you were working out on the machines or taking a fitness class. Did you go until you felt the burn? Time to cool it, turbo!

When you start to feel the burn, your body is sliding into that inefficient territory where it predominantly burns sugar instead of those preferred energy-dense fat calories. When that happens, you not only spend more time trying to lose the fat, but you also risk injury (such as muscle tears or ligament strain) as your body tires out.

With your metabolic assessment results in hand, your fitness professional will determine your correct workout intensity. Whether you want to lose weight or boost performance, whether you are new to working out or you want to take your training to the next level, your trainer will prescribe a routine that makes the most of your current fitness abilities.

Good trainers know that your body needs both cardio and strength training to teach your metabolism to do its best work. That’s why your New Leaf accredited trainer will suggest: 1) cardio workouts to help train your body to burn more fat before switching to carbs, and 2) strength training to increase your body’s lean muscle tissue. Even at rest, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does.

Your New Leaf metabolic assessment results will also give guidance to your meal planning. Knowing your RMR and your daily caloric needs, a nutritionist can recommend a diet that’s chock full of energy, but not too heavy on the calories. Smarts like that will help you avoid making a poor choice when you need a quick bite as you get out of the gym and on with your day.

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