A.Definitely.Exercise burns calories.But it also goes beyond that.When you exercise,food passes through your intestinal tract much faster,and as a result you absorb a decreased percentage of your food.For example,a meal passes through an average person in about 24 hours.But marathon runners have a food transit time of 4 to 6 hours. Even after you stop exercising,your body continues to burn increased calories for 5 or 6 hours a day-and tests show that can account for a 5-to-10-pound weight loss in a year A. Definitely.Exercise burns calories. But it also goes beyond that. When you exercise, food passes through your intestinal tract much faster, and as a result you absorb a decreased percentage of your food. For example,a meal passes through an average person in about 24 hours. But marathon runners have a food transit time of 4 to 6 hours. Even after you stop exercising, your body continues to burn increased calories for 5 or 6 hours a day— and tests show that can account for a 5-to-10-pound weight loss in a year