Does Exercise Make You Thin?

People who want to lose weight frequently believe that if they exercise a lot this will help them to lose weight. In fact the truth may be a bit more complex.

In August 2009, Time Magazine published an article highlighting research which casts doubt on the value of a stringent exercise regime in helping to reduce your weight, although it does at the same time refer to the acknowledged benefits for mental and physical health from moderate exercise such as walking while carrying bags or climbing stairs.

You can view the full article at: Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin. Some of the main points argued in the article are:

• Strenuous exercise such as a hard session at the gym is likely to leave you hungry so that you eat more and therefore do not lose weight overall because the calories you eat after exercise may match or even exceed the calories you have burned off through vigorous exercise.
• Sometimes people who underake strenuous activity to try to lose weight may then move around a lot less afterwards, negating some of the benefit of the exercise.
• Doing moderately strenuous activities such as walking while carrying groceries or walking and climbing stairs can help your cognitive functioning. Also people who exercise are at significantly lower risk from a number of diseases particularly those relating to the heart and exercise helps your mental health.

The moral? If the article is correct then I would suggest that you keep doing moderate exercise to help with your mental and physical health but don't expect it to lose you weight. Instead if you are overweight or obese, a better way of losing weight is to follow a sensible balanced healthy diet whilst reducing excess intake of fatty or sugary items.

Blog Post Written by Life Coach David
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