Exercise Will Not Help You Lose Weight, but It Does So Much More
by Ngozi Osuagwu, MD | March 30th, 2019
“I was exercising, but nothing was happening. I was not losing weight, so I stopped”.
-Anonymous
If you make no adjustments in your diet, exercise alone will not help you lose weight. It will, however, help you maintain your current weight.
If exercise does not help you lose weight, then why exercise? Exercise is so much more than weight loss. Exercise helps with blood flow and releases hormones in our body that causes the following:
- Relieves stress
- Reduces depression and anxiety
- Prevents and delays the onset of Alzheimer’s
- Relieves chronic pain
- Helps with vision
- Slows down aging
- Nourishes our skin
- Helps us sleep better
- Helps our joints
- Decreases risks of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension
- Helps control our blood pressure
- Helps with management of diabetes
- Decreases the risks of certain cancers
I can go on and on. Exercise is the best medicine we have for overall health. It is recommended that adults need as least 150 – 300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week with muscle-strengthening activity two or more days a week. Even if you cannot do 150 – 300 minutes a week, something is better than nothing. The key is to move.
April is National Minority Health Month and this year’s theme is Active and Healthy. The Office of Minority Health (OMH) the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched the Active & Healthy Challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage individuals, especially racial and ethnic minorities, to work physical activity into their daily and weekly schedules. The challenge is co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Minority Health Access.
I have signed up for the Activity & Healthy Challenge as an individual (Dr. Ngozi) and I would encourage you to sign up. The challenge begins April 1, 2019 and ends midnight ET on April 30, 2019.
