The human body is very similar to an automobile engine in many ways. When you compare the two it becomes easier to understand how it is possible to burn a higher amount of 'fuel' or calories.

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If you start the engine and accelerate without proper warm-up, various parts of the engine may suffer damage. In the same way, indulging your body in strenuous exercise without proper warm-up may cause damage.

An automobile engine consumes more fuel at the start. Our body consumes high energy in the warm-up to get into a stable running phase. Once warmed-up, if you keep it running at a steady pace, fuel efficiency increases.

Similarly, performing at a steady pace or intensity will burn a minimal amount of energy or fuel.

If you slow down and accelerate frequently, the engine consumes higher amount of fuel. After the warm-up, keep changing intensity of the exercise/movement to burn higher amount of calories.

Remember interval-training and HIIT (high-intensity interval training methods)?

Larger the engine, higher the consumption. Larger the body and higher the cardio respiratory capacity, higher the caloric 'usage'.Lack of coolant fluid and/or engine oil will overheat the engine and it will not be able to perform. It may also result in minor/major engine damage. In the same way, rapid and excess loss of water from the body will impact  performance.

It may result in muscle cramps, dehydration and other complications. Rehydrate your body every 15-20 minutes depending upon how much you perspire.

Poor quality of fuel will decrease the performance and may damage one or more parts of the engine. Poor nutrition and diet (that includes under-nutrition and malnutrition) will decrease performance and cause damage over a period of time.

If you 'race' every day, higher the wear and tear and life of the vehicle decreases.

If we exert our bodies to its 100% capacity every day, higher the wear and tear, lesser the time for recovery and repair and shorter the life of a 'workable' body.

No matter what, fuel consumption will be in direct proportion to the engine's RPM (rounds per minute). No matter what movement you do, caloric usage will be directly proportional to your heart rate (HR) (maintained for a specific duration). Meaning, the longer (time) you maintain a higher HR, the more calories (and eventually fat) you burn.

No matter what movement, cardio plus muscle work will result in 'higher' and 'longer' burn. Cardio gives you a metabolic surge for a short period of time while intense muscle work (weight training/calisthenics) will not only boost your metabolism temporarily but will also accelerate your BMR (or resting metabolic rate), meaning your body keeps burning higher amount of energy for a longer time even while at rest!

Muscle work in combination with cardio-respiratory work for even 30 minutes can increase the BMR for up to 24 hours.

—  The author is a Ahmedabad-based health and fitness expertÂ