Now that spring is here, you may be looking to get back to exercising and getting into shape before summer.
Dr. Emily Cooper from the Diabesity Institute shares some surprising facts about exercise and what it takes to be fit and healthy.
Dr. Cooper: People automatically equate thin with fit or healthy. But in spite of what you hear, having a lower body weight doesn’t mean that you’re more fit or healthier than someone with a larger body.
You actually cannot tell whether someone is healthy or fit from what they look like!
Fitness and health are influenced by a mixture of genes, how we take care of ourselves and medical care that catches problems early and treats them proactively.
Certain medical conditions do occur more often in people with obesity, but these same diseases also affect people with normal body weight so you really can’t tell who is affected by focusing on weight.
Question: Exercise is always promoted as a weight loss strategy but you say that it’s not that simple. Why is that?
Dr. Cooper: Exercise is almost always recommended for weight control. We’re told that the more disciplined you are, the better your results will be. Exercise can increase muscle mass and reduce fat mass to a small degree but for many people it can also do the opposite.
Exercise without enough food can really backfire and actually lead to even greater weight gain and higher body fat. In fact, I frequently see patients who decided to ramp up their training only to find the number on the scale keep jumping up, and it wasn’t because they were putting on muscle mass.
Question: We’re always told no pain, no gain – is that true?
Dr. Cooper: We’re told that if you don’t push yourself to the max, you won’t get the results. But pushing hard on all your workouts does not build your fitness to its greatest potential and can jack up your stress hormones and increase risk of cardiovascular disease. Lower intensity efforts, and a balance of rest and nutrition that supports workouts improves results.
Question: If we want the health benefits of exercise, but don’t want any negative impact, what should we do?
Dr. Cooper: Exercise can really improve your health and fitness if done properly. Check with your health care provider to be sure you’re medically cleared for exercise. Vary the intensity and include rest periods, plenty of sleep and fuel your body well.
The number one priority is to avoid turning to exercise and food deprivation as a way to lose weight because even if you lose weight in the short term it can cause long-term damage to your metabolism and that weight is likely to come back with more.
