Why You Shouldn't Underestimate the Importance of Exercise

The importance of exercise tends to be overlooked by people looking to lose weight, because they have it drilled into them that dieting is the only way to go. You go into a shop and you are surrounded by books and magazines suggesting that you could lose 10 pounds a week just by following a specific diet plan and so you become preoccupied with what you put in your mouth. Clearly, weight loss is unlikely to happen if you do not address your diet, but you also have to consider the role of exercise if you want to find a way to lose weight and keep it off.

You lose weight by building up a calorie deficit, which you can only do by consuming fewer calories than your body burns. Altering your diet should help you to reduce the calories you consume whilst increasing the amount of exercise you do will lead to a greater number of calories being expended. By getting more active you can lose weight and still consume a reasonable number of calories because you will actually be able to burn off any extra calories whenever you go to the gym or for a run in the park.

Exercise requires you to move your limbs, get out of breath and become sweaty and if you feel tired after a workout you know you've been doing it right! Whilst you are exercising your metabolism speeds up, a situation which continues for hours after you finish and so you will be burning off calories faster than if you had been sitting around all day, doing nothing. This is good news, because it can be hard to stick to a calorie-controlled diet and so making time for exercise helps you feel less guilty on those occasions when you do slip-up and partake of an extra slice of cake.

Indeed, exercise is beneficial for both your body and mind. You will be able to tone up your arms, legs and stomach, whilst also increasing your fitness and keeping your heart healthy. Not only will you notice a difference on the outside; you will also start to feel better on the inside. Losing weight can be a long and difficult process, which requires you to adjust to a new way of doing things.

Adjusting to change is always difficult and can be rather depressing, but exercise actually promotes the release of feel-good chemicals, which should help you maintain a positive state of mind. Ultimately, then, it is well worth making time for exercise in your schedule, particularly if you want to lose weight, as you will burn more calories, have a certain degree of flexibility with regard to your diet and you will also look and feel better, which should continue into the future if you decide to remain active.