If you’re interested in living a leaner, healthier lifestyle, you likely know that the two big categories of lifestyle changes are, essentially, “diet and exercise.” You can eat better and you can exercise more – and both are important if you want to be healthier overall.

But which of these is more important? And why?

Creating a Path of Your Own

The reality is, health and nutrition are complicated subjects, and they aren’t easily reducible to simple truths that apply to the entirety of the population. As you’re going to see, eating lean and exercising more are both important, yet complex subjects, and it’s simply impossible to say that one is better than the other. For some people, eating leaner is going to be better, or easier, or more accessible, and for other people, the opposite is true.

That’s one reason why it’s so valuable to work with a nutrition and weight loss clinic. Together with a consultant, you can review your health history, your goals, and even your personal preferences to build out a custom plan that’s perfectly suited to you. It’s probably not going to be the same as anyone else’s plan, but it’s going to work well for your individual goals. Creating a path of your own is almost always the best option.

That said, we can broadly explore some reasons why you could make the case that eating leaner or exercising more is the more important strategic element.

The Case for Eating Leaner

Let’s start by looking at how eating leaner could be more beneficial to you.

·         Influencing more calories. Generally, changing how you eat can influence more total calories than changing how you exercise. For example, a typical person only burns around 100 calories from running a mile, even though it feels like an intensive and exhaustive activity. By that same token, a single fancy drink at a café can be hundreds of calories. Making a couple of changes to your eating habits can help you reduce your caloric intake relatively dramatically, which can help you achieve your weight loss goals if that’s something that’s important to you.

·         Relative ease (and fewer time requirements). In some ways, eating leaner is easier and more time efficient. Eating raw vegetables instead of potato chips takes no additional time and no additional skill, while swimming laps is something that takes both time and skill.

·         Secondary nutritional benefits. Improving your dietary habits also has secondary nutritional benefits. Regardless of your primary health and fitness goals, improving your macronutrient intake and eating more fruits and vegetables is going to make you feel more energized and healthier overall. Paying attention to your nutrition also means reducing various health risks well into the future.

·         Nutrition for exercise. On top of that, it’s arguable that nutrition is an important prerequisite for pursuing physical fitness through exercise. Without adequate protein intake, you’re not going to be able to build muscle or recover from workouts as easily. Without the right balance of carbohydrates, you may not have the energy you need to consistently improve your performance. The same is true if you’re not eating enough calories.

The Case for Exercising More

Physical exercise is also important, however.

· Building muscle. One of the perks of physical exercise is that it gives you an opportunity to build muscle. Even if building muscle isn’t your primary goal, it may help you achieve your other goals. Increasing muscle mass can help you improve your overall physique and increase the number of calories you burn while resting. It can also make you look and feel your best.

· Improving cardiovascular fitness. Exercise is also the only way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Unfortunately, you can’t build your heart or lung health through eating better alone. With even a light to moderate exercise regimen on a daily basis, you can greatly improve your health.

· Increasing metabolism. People also appreciate exercise for its ability to increase metabolism, both in the immediate context and in the long term. Exercising early in the morning can boost your metabolism for the entire day, and building more muscle mass can increase your metabolism generally.

·         Overall energy levels. Physical exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress, and it can help you feel more energized throughout the day. Regular exercise simply improves your subjective experience.

The Bottom Line

Realistically, the best approach is to improve your eating habits and improve your exercise habits simultaneously, regardless of whether your goal is to build muscle, lose weight, prevent health complications, or simply feel better. But depending on your preferences, goals, and health history, you might find that one is slightly more important than the other. What’s important is that you find a plan that works for you.