So you didn't lose weight after exercising? Feeling cheated?
There's a bigger benefit to physical activity
Welcome to lazybones.substack.com. Every other week I’ll be sharing psychological insights and techniques to help you (or a friend) overcome the friction preventing a more active lifestyle.
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A few days ago a friend asked me about a discouraging article he had read in The New York Times. Gretchen Reynolds, the columnist who frequently writes about exercise and health, reported on a study of 1,754 adults that found that,
“…more activity doesn’t necessarily result in greater daily calorie expenditure.”
The study suggested that our bodies compensate for about a quarter of the calories we would otherwise expend in exercise. For those of us longing for a silver bullet, increased exercise may help but hardly to the degree we’d hope for.
Having read this article my friend wanted to know if he was wasting his time trying to exercise. Working out was a struggle for him and the Times article seemed to confirm his suspicions that exercising was pointless. I disagreed for several reasons.
First, even if weight loss was the only reason for exercising, there’s ample evidence that it is essential for maintaining weight loss. If you’re going to lose weight, whether by dieting, weight loss medications, or even surgery, research suggests that you’re going to need to be active to maintain your loss. A sedentary lifestyle almost guarantees that you’ll regain however many pounds you’ve worked so hard to lose.
Second, I referred him to this week’s article by Gretchen Reynolds discussing new research showing that,
“…obese men and women who begin to exercise and improve their fitness can lower their risk of premature death by as much as 30 percent or more, even if their weight does not budge.”
After reading the article, my friend acknowledged his workouts just might minimize the likelihood of his premature death. He could be happy with increased longevity even if exercising didn’t get rid of his mid-section bulge. He decided that exercising wasn’t pointless after all.
Can I ask you a favor?
Do you know anyone who could use a little encouragement to become more active? Maybe they aren’t necessarily overweight, but they might be more sedentary than is good for them. Could they benefit from Lazybones? Perhaps you’re reluctant to send them the link because you don’t want to offend them. Please let me know, and tell me if you think “Lazybones” is disparaging. If so, I’m open to suggestions for a new name that would be easier to recommend. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
I've read Gretchen Reynolds's articles for decades and trust her and her commentaries. But what I've also learned through the years is that you have to trust your body.
I agree with you totally--exercise is important, very important! And preventing premature death is paramount.
One way or the other, I want to be in good health when I go! So I'll just keep exercising ;-)
I read those New York Times articles. I was actually encouraged, because it’s so hard to lose weight and keep it off that I find it better not to even go there. So the answer that exercise is worth doing independent of weight loss encourages me to keep going. And to look forward to health benefits of exercise.