11 Apr Why You Should Exercise and It’s Not to Lose Weight
I’ve seen some people, often millenials, who will eat a couple french fries then add more minutes of time on the treadmill. I’ve also heard people say they go to the exercise class because they like to eat. And I heard a zumba instructor say that it won’t matter so much what you eat now that you’ve taken the zumba class.
But none of these things are part of my motivation for exercise.
I exercise for health. Sadly, exercise for weight loss is not supported by research. The “move more and eat less” philosophy is just plain wrong. Weight loss is governed by your hormones. That is, your hormones will slow your metabolism so you won’t lose too much weight when you up your cardio. So sad. All that work and you don’t get the results you want.
But there are many important reasons to exercise.
One of my mottoes is to gain health to lose weight. Exercise is essential for gaining health. So indirectly you will probably lose some weight too. But expect to heal your body first, and the weight to come off next. More accurately, the fat will come off. The scale may not reflect your successes as muscle weighs more than fat. And exercise will give you muscle and improve your body composition.
Benefit of Exercise
So let’s take a look at some reasons to exercise.
Improves mood. Exercise was put head to head against antidepressants and did as well. You can’t stop taking an antidepressant because you started exercising, but maybe you can work with your doctor to gradually make some changes.
Prevents dementia, even reverses it. Exercise is an essential part of Dr. Dale Bredesen’s ReCode program for reversing cognitive decline. It’s one of many interventions, but certainly one you can get started with right now. Since both of my parents had dementia, I do use this thought as motivation to keep me moving.
Reduces stress. When you are stressed, cortisol is released. You need to do something with that hormone. Exercise helps “use it up”. In other words, it brings you back to normal, so that cortisol doesn’t hang around your body causing trouble.
Improves blood sugar. Your body becomes more sensitive to insulin with exercise. When you are sensitive to insulin, your blood sugar stays at healthier levels and you put on less belly fat. Yes!
Protects your heart. It seems like everybody is on statins to protect their heart. That carries lots of risks and side effects. Try exercise to protect your heart, but don’t quit statins without checking with your doctor of course.
Improves sleep. This is my favorite benefit since I struggle to get a good night’s sleep. The light in your eyes improves melatonin production and your overall circadian rhythm. That’s why I miss my dog. Since she died, I’m not forced to get out walking in the early sun. I’m thinking of getting another dog. It would be good for me in many ways.
Makes you stronger. How are your guns? Wish it wasn’t so hard to carry stuff around your house or yard? Exercise will help.
Gives you energy. This is true only if you don’t overdo it and put yourself into deep recovery mode. Find the sweet spot of challenging but not exhausting.
Detoxes. When you exercise you sweat, and that is a great source of detox. Exercise also tends to keep you regular, and elimination is your main way to detox. Don’t let a day go by without going, or you will keep all those toxins floating around doing damage.
Bone strength. Don’t get osteoporosis when you get old. Lift some weights now.
Keeps you alive. Exercise reduces your chance of all-cause mortality. Meaning, you are less likely to die from any reason if you do strength training.
I could go on. There are so many benefits to exercise. Humans evolved moving. We were outside, under the sun, on the ground, and moving most of the day. I always look at our evolution as a sort of truth detector when I read about health recommendations. If our ancestors did it, than maybe it makes sense for us. It’s natural. It’s not likely Mother Nature made mistakes. This gives me confidence in sharing recommendations with you.
Contact me
Do you need confidence in choosing healthy habits? I can help. As a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, I am qualified to help you transform your lifestyle. I can support you in finding what works for you and how to fit it in to your life. I can meet with you weekly, or whenever you want, and we can meet through video chat or face-to-face. Ten sessions tend to be most effective, but you can try one session before paying for more. Contact me.
What does exercise do for you? Tell us in the Comments.
This article is for information purposes only. See Disclaimer below.
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