Exercising for reasons other than weight loss

Does the concept of “exercise without weight loss” seem alien to you? To work out without having the attachment of weight loss.

I believe there is so much more to exercise than just weight loss. For me it is used for empowerment, making me stronger, uplifting and that I can take on the world.

My day doesn’t start properly until I have completed my morning workout and exercising five times a week gives me the sense of stability that I need. To some, this may sound ridiculously excessive but to others who know the feeling of endorphins circulating around your body, this makes absolute sense. The one constant thing in my life that I can count on to help me feel better on the inside and out, Is exercise.  It helps to clear my mind, stimulate my body, and my soul and gives me a sense of achievement at the beginning of my day. Movement is powerful, it's truly what gives me my strength and focus.

I want you to learn some of the amazing benefits of exercising for other reasons than weight loss because it has so much more to give than just physical appearance.

Improved mood and well-being.

So what is this amazing feeling I am talking about and why do we get it? This is endorphins. When we are training, our body releases endorphins, which interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain triggering a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. This is why you leave the gym feeling so positive, I believe so strongly in this benefit that I would go as far as saying it can help towards recovering from depression. So if you’re feeling a little low, just try taking yourself for a walk and I promise you will feel a little brighter.

We all know what it’s like to wake up in the morning and just want to go back to sleep and skip the workout but just remind yourselves of that post-workout feeling and it will get you through it.

Improved physical health.

It has been proven that regular physical activity can help protect you from the following health problems:

• Heart Disease and Stroke
• High Blood Pressure
• Non insulin-Dependent Diabetes
• Obesity
• Back Pain
• Osteoporosis
• Disability

Not only is regular exercise great for your general health, but it may improve your ability to complete daily activities and prevent injuries. With examples such as climbing stairs, doing the groceries or even playing with your kid the list of benefits is virtually endless!

Improved confidence

In my own personal training and training with clients, I’m all about focusing on how you feel rather than how you look. Whilst exercising to reach the desired goal for your physical looks can be great, if this makes you feel bad, then you may want to rethink your reasoning behind it. I think I can speak for most people who exercise regularly when I say they do it because they love the positive emotions they get from it. If you are constantly focused on achieving a certain body type or staying under a certain weight range, you are inevitably going to harbour some negative feelings towards exercise at some point or another.

From previous experience, making it through a challenging workout gives you a sense of empowerment like no other. As I have spoken about, this feeling is honestly indescribable, but I hope some of your readers will be able to relate; if you can't, just give it a try.

I genuinely hope this post reaches out to you and has highlighted some of the reasons to exercise OTHER than just trying to lose weight! If you set out to exercise for some of the listed benefits, I can promise you that you'll find it more rewarding and get so much more out of it.