Weight Loss Strategies- Exercise

Throughout the month of April, I've been trying to give you a slightly different look at weight loss. We all know the mantra, "eat less, exercise more" and by now, you may realize why that is an outdated notion. There is much more to weight management for many people. But I can't let the topic of weight loss go without mentioning exercise. Exercise is extremely important in weight management.

I know what most of us hear in the popular press, "The more you exercise, the more calories you burn. The more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose."

Yes- it's true but only half the picture. What's the other half of the picture? Weight is regulated by your nervous system, hormones, your immune system, the health of your gastrointestinal tract, ability to sleep and a host of other underappreciated variables. It is not based solely on how many steps you take or the minutes you put in on a treadmill.

So beyond burning calories, what else is exercise good for?
1. It changes your hormone response... even in women with hormone irregularities.
2. It improves the inflammatory milieu of your body. It lowers inflammation.
3. Increases testosterone in young men.
4. Increases IGF-1 (generally a good response) and improves blood sugar regulation.
5. Increases growth hormone levels in obese individuals.
6. Increases insulin sensitivity. In other words, makes insulin work better.
7. Increases natural killer cell activity, a part of the immune system. (In fairness, overtraining or overly aggressive exercise will actually impair immune function).

This is just a peek at the metabolic benefits of exercise. Let's take just #2 from the above list. You already know that inflammation is a major impediment to weight loss. Weight gain causes more inflammation in a vicious cycle. So how do you break that cycle? Exercise. It is clear that exercise, independent of calorie burning potential, is necessary to lose weight.