A brief background on me before I get into the post. I have a very complicated past with food and weight loss, ranging from emotional eating as a young teen to anorexia as a young adult to binge eating disorder in my 20s.
I have multiple mental health disorders and have struggled with depression for the past year. I’ve gained 70 pounds from binge eating and the deeper I’ve fallen into depression, the more I’ve fallen out of my healthy habits. My sleep has taken a hit, my diet has been trash, I’ve been finding excuses to routinely skip the gym, and I’ve just felt all-around miserable and hopeless.
However, I recently got back into regularly exercising, something I’ve valued since my days as a competitive dancer. I’m exercising to help lose the 70 pounds I’ve gained, but I could be just doing CICO and and still lose the weight. I feel much better already and regret ever falling off the wagon with working out.
Here’s why exercise is so fundamental to my well-being.
1.) Confidence
That feel when you achieve a new goal?
Incredibly motivating.
2.) Celebrating what your body can do versus what it looks like
It’s SO easy to hate how you look and focus on the final product versus the process. I find that exercise helps me love my current body so much more, despite my long history of having terrible body image and perfectionistic thinking.
3.) Definition/muscle vs being skinny fat
This applies more to lifting specifically, but sculpting your body while you drop weight is the way to go if you are looking for a certain look/shape/build versus just a number on the scale.
4.) Burn more calories at rest
Especially applicable for lifting, but also applies to cardio. Any time you get your heart rate up, you will burn a bit more following your workout. If you focus on building muscle over time, you’ll eventually require more calories to maintain your body.
5.) Increase caloric deficit/able to eat more
The more calories you burn, the more you can eat and stay within your goals. Rather than dropping daily calories to extremely low levels (pro-tip from my ED days: 900 calories per day is not enough), add some cardio or other physical activity. I also find that I am far less hungry after a workout. This will differ from-person-to-person, but exercise often blunts my appetite.
6.) Build a mindset of persistence/goal setting
Pushing through a tough workout has helped me to stick with other challenges in my life. Adopting this mindset of persisting when the going gets tough will serve you in many other aspects of your life, including but not limited to work, school, and any other hobbies you have.
7.) More mini-achievements
Weight loss can be long, hard, and sometimes unrewarding. The scale won’t always budge, you won’t always feel motivated, and sometimes you’ll just feel like giving up. Throwing in physical activity of some sort helps to keep you going by increasing the amount of little victories you have. Walked 1 mile last month but walked 3 this month? Fantastic! Go you! Upped the weights on a tough exercise? Awesome! Decreased your time on a mile run? Clap for yourself! Small achievements act as increments where you can assess your progress. Progress isn’t limited to a number on a scale.
8.) Positive effect on brain chemicals
Exercise increases circulating levels of certain beneficial neurotransmitters. In other words, you’ll be happier and less likely to chase immediate gratification by overeating unhealthy food. Both exercise and sugary foods activate the brain’s reward center, releasing dopamine (a neurotransmitter involved in reward and pleasure). Serotonin (involved in mood and satiety/fullness) is also released when exercising and by carb-heavy foods. And of course, the ever-popular endorphins responsible for the “runner’s high”. Turning to exercise instead of food for happiness and pleasure is healthier and more constructive.
9.) Cardiovascular health
There are plenty of thin people who are in poor cardiovascular health. This is often because they don’t eat right and they rarely exercise. Routine physical activity is something your heart will thank you for.
10.) Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
Many people who are heavy also struggle with high cholesterol and hypertension. Regular exercise lowers both LDL (low-density lipoprotein, the negative cholesterol) and resting and active blood pressure levels. Your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood in response to vigorous activity, thus healthier.
11.) Positive effects on productivity and sharpness
Even when not hitting the gym (or the bike trail or the track), you’ll feel mentally sharper and have more energy. It’s an amazing feeling and does wonders for productivity. And you don’t get a crash like what you get with caffeine.
12.) Stay mentally young longer (lower risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s)
I work in a research lab that investigates the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Buildup of a particularly-problematic protein, known as amyloid beta, has been clearly correlated as a risk for development and progression of Alzheimer’s. However, exercise (and sleep) have both been found to lower levels of it.
13.) Happiness
Remember dopamine and serotonin? You don’t just feel the effects of greater levels of them during exercise. Prolonged, routine exercise has been shown to increase resting levels of both- yes, even when just sitting. Sticking to an exercise regime for the long-haul can actually change your brain chemistry.
14.) Can be done with a friend/partner
Weight loss can be lonely and arduous. What better way to stay motivated than to do it with others? Not only can they hold you accountable, they can cheer you on and help take the monotony out of losing weight.
15.) Boost your immune system
The more you workout, the less you’ll get sick. Provided you don’t work yourself too hard too regularly without breaks, your immune system will function much better and you’ll be more resistant to illness.
16.) You just might find a new hobby
When the weight is lost and you have your dream body, who knows? You might just love exercise enough to keep with it.
No matter where you are in your fitness journey, whether you’re an experienced athlete who has lost weight before, or a beginner losing weight for the first time, I strongly suggest you add some sort of activity to your life. It doesn’t have to be any one thing. Find what works for you. Swim, bike, dance, run, hike- do whatever you will stick to and whatever you love. Your body (and mind) will thank you.
