Benefits of exercise lost in focus on weight loss

By DAN STRAYTON
As published Sept. 19, 2007

Weight loss is the number one reason people begin an exercise program. Unfortunately, it can also be the number one reason why people quit an exercise program.

Weight loss can be a frustrating and difficult goal to achieve. When emphasizing weight loss too much, we can fail to grasp the real importance of exercise and may set ourselves up for frustration and failure. That’s when we hear the phrase “this exercise is not working for me”.

Exercise “works”. It gives you energy, makes you feel better, improves your health, strengthens your bones, manages stress, strengthens your heart, helps you think clearly, improves your mood, manages your diabetes, reduces back pain and arthritic pain, and generally makes you the best you can be. All of these things can take place whether you lose weight or not.

This is what we should understand and recognize about exercise – weight loss is just one of the many fantastic benefits that exercise can provide.

The real importance of exercise lies in its ability to positively impact almost all areas of our physical and mental health. We are able to build upon the benefits listed above to create a more full and satisfying life for ourselves.

Think about how you would feel, what you would look like and the many things you could and would do, either by yourself or with your family, if you were very fit and realized all of the benefits listed above. It’s a whole different outlook on life.

Unfortunately, many people never fully reap the rewards of an exercise program because they give them up if they “aren’t losing any weight”. Exercise can help you lose weight, however, not usually to the extent most people would like.

For a large amount of weight loss, it takes significantly more exercise, or higher exercise intensities, than most people are willing or able to do, particularly early on in their exercise program. However, the amount of exercise required for the other benefits I’ve mentioned is much lower and more manageable for the average person.

Consistent, moderate exercise can produce a great many physical and mental health benefits – significant weight loss takes a little more effort both with exercise and diet.

The goal of your exercise program should be about fitness and health. I always encourage people to “focus on fitness” and make efforts to become more and more fit from week to week.

Emphasize your exercise numbers (e.g. speed, distance, time, strength, heart rate, etc.) rather than the numbers on your scale. As your exercise numbers go up, your scale numbers will go down. And, as your exercise numbers go up, your health numbers will go down – numbers like blood pressure, blood sugar, resting heart rate, etc.

These kinds of numbers, your exercise and health numbers, are the true measure of whether or not your exercise is working for you.

Motivation to exercise is one of the greatest obstacles to the maintenance of a regular exercise program. Focusing only on weight loss hasn’t worked up to this point; I think it’s time we try something else.

Weight loss is largely a function of what and how we eat. Fitness is largely a function of what we do. Health is a function of the two working together. With your exercise, focus on fitness. With your diet, focus on good, sound nutrition, smaller portions and less emphasis on eating as entertainment.

Get those exercise numbers up and that other number just may begin going down.

Good luck and keep moving!

[Dan Strayton, general manager at Health Unlimited on Century Drive in Mt. Airy, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about exercise, health and fitness. Write to him in care of the Mt. Airy Messenger, P.O. Box 897, Mt. Airy, MD 21771‑0897; or send e-mail to dans@myhealthunlimited.com.]

When will exercise get easier?

By DAN STRAYTON
As published Sept. 5, 2007

I often hear the question "When is this going to get easier?" soon after people begin an exercise program. The answer to that question depends on what you're asking, exactly.

You might be asking "When will I find it easier to make myself exercise?" or you may be asking "When will the difficulty, or intensity, of my exercise get easier?" I would like to address the latter question first.

If you want to see results from your exercise program, especially if those results include significant weight loss or changes in your physical appearance, then the intensity or difficulty of your exercise should never really get "easier". Of course, you should not find yourself with a great deal of soreness or exhaustion after every workout but you also do not want to get to the point that your exercise is "easy".

Here's why. Let's say you begin walking on the treadmill at 3.0 mph for 30 minutes and this is somewhat hard for you. If you do this 3-4 days per week for a couple of weeks, you'll find it easier and easier to walk 3.0 mph for 30 minutes. If you continue for weeks and weeks, you will find it has become very easy to walk that speed for that length of time. That is not your goal, however.

Your goal is not for the exercise to become progressively easier and easier. Your goal is to accomplish more and more with each exercise session while continuing to feel the intensity is about the same, "somewhat hard". Exercise must be challenging for it to produce the kinds of physical changes most people are seeking.

So, rather than staying at 3.0 mph and waiting for it to get "easier", you should strive to inch your speed up each week so that you still feel challenged by the workout. At faster speeds, you'll burn more calories during your 30 minutes but it should feel no more difficult than when you first began your exercise program at 3.0 mph. As your body adapts to your exercise, you will be able to do more in the same amount of time and that is how you continue to see results from an exercise program.

Remember what a famous person once said - "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" (Will Rogers). If you have settled into an exercise routine that is "easy", you may want to step up your intensity a little bit to keep yourself moving in the right direction.

Having said that, I want to make sure that everyone realizes that you are always benefiting from exercise, regardless of the intensity. So, if you prefer to remain at a very comfortable exercise intensity and not challenge yourself too much, you will still be reaping a variety of benefits like increased energy, reduced joint pain, improved mood and a reduced chance of chronic illness.

The amount of exercise it takes to produce these kinds of health benefits is actually quite small. Unfortunately, most people are looking for more significant physical changes in their weight and appearance and they expect their exercise to produce these changes.

Exercise can do this but only if the exercise is physically challenging to the body and continues to be challenging as the body adapts to the workouts.

The first question above relates more to our ability to maintain a consistent, on-going exercise routine. Many, many people find it difficult to "stick with" their exercise.

To help make that aspect easier, you should look for ways to make your exercise more interesting. This may include taking part in group exercise classes where you have an instructor and other participants to motivate, encourage and even entertain you. This may also mean adding some variety to your exercise program so you do not find yourself doing the same thing day after day.

Try new pieces of equipment, new exercises and new classes when you can. Look for interesting exercise ideas in magazines and books then try them next time you workout. Try to encourage a friend to exercise with you. And, finally, as we've already said, keep challenging yourself. There is nothing more boring than an exercise routine that you can easily do, with little thought or effort, and that you've done many times before.

"Easier" exercise leads to poor results and an uninteresting exercise program that is difficult to stick with. Progressively increase your exercise, try new things and challenge yourself a little bit each day and you just may feel as if your exercise program is getting "easier" every day.

Good luck and keep moving!

[Dan Strayton, general manager at Health Unlimited on Century Drive in Mt. Airy, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about exercise, health and fitness. Write to him in care of the Mt. Airy Messenger, P.O. Box 897, Mt. Airy, MD 21771-0897; or send e-mail to dans@myhealthunlimited.com.]