5 Reasons to Exercise and None of Them is to Lose Weight

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools to improve mood, body image, self-confidence, and cardiovascular health. I personally know a lot of people who have been prescribed a dose of exercise to help alleviate depression, anxiety, and improve lipid profiles in conditions such as hypercholesterolemia, and manage high blood pressure-related disorders. There is an endless list of exercise benefits and yet many people find it extremely challenging to develop an exercise routine and stay motivated to stick to it. I’d argue that if you are one of those who constantly fall off the fitness wagon, you don’t just need motivation, you need to find “the reasons” a.k.a the “whys”. Allow us to offer you an assortment of reasons that will help you find your “whys” to exercising.

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1. Healthier and younger looking skin
Who doesn’t like to get compliments on their skin? As we age, our skin deteriorates due to constant exposure to toxins and loss of collagen. Collagen is the substance that makes your skin keep its elasticity and hence when its production declines, your skin ages faster. Multiple studies have linked exercise to increased collagen production and improved skin health. To put it in simple words, exercise induces certain factors, such as IL-15 and IGF-I, which in turn improves skin metabolism and delays skin aging. So literally, start working on your skin from the inside out!

2. Stronger bones
As we get older, we start losing bone mineral density (BMD) which makes us prone to more fractures. There are multiple studies that demonstrate a strong correlation between weight-bearing and endurance training, and preservation of BMD. This is very important especially for females since they tend to lose BMD faster than males due to post-menopausal hormonal changes. So next time you are at the gym, load up the barbell!

3. Body composition improvement (AKA non-scale victories)
When I started my fitness journey, I was a little over 100 lbs (~ 45 kgs) and my body fat percentage was somewhere between 20-22%. Fast forward seven years (and two kids) later, I am sitting at 115-120 lbs (~52-54 kgs), 16.5% body fat, and approximately 99 lb (~45 kgs) of lean muscle mass. Besides looking strong, my lipid profile and my hemoglobin levels have significantly improved. My overall endurance during day-to-day activities has taken off. What does this mean? We will need a separate blog to discuss what is body composition, how to improve it, and what are the benefits of improved body composition. What you need to know for now is: a) what makes you “look good” has to do with your body composition and not necessarily how much weight you lost, b) to improve body composition, you need a well-balanced regimen of cardio- and resistance training exercises, and c) Improved fat-muscle ratio will protect you from cardiovascular diseases especially if you, like myself, have a genetic predisposition for it.

4. Develop more healthy habits
If you haven’t read the Atomic habits by James Clear, you are missing out big time! Clear discusses several tips on the art of building good habits based on human behavioral and psychological studies. One tip discussed is that of habit stacking. Simply put, you can use exercise (a good habit) as a cue for another good habit such as increase daily water intake, meditation, reading, etc. If you look closer at your friends who exercise regularly, chances are they have one thing in common; they develop and retain multiple good habits.

5. Inspire others
Do you want to have an impact on your family and friends? Start with you first and lead by example. I don’t follow a lot of fitness figures on Instagram, that’s because unfortunately many accounts propagate exercise and nutrition “facts” that are not backed up by sound scientific evidence. I follow mostly fit inspirations. Those who changed their lifestyle 180 degrees. Those who fight chronic diseases and inflammation with exercise. Busy moms and dads who work out at random hours of the day and have committed to a healthy lifestyle despite their busy schedules. Inspiring people will help you stay committed to your health and fitness in return. Inspiration is energy that doesn’t run out. Give inspiration, and you shall receive more inspiration in return that will help you stay on track with your fitness goals.

References:

1. Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery 2018.
2. Crane, J. D. et al (2015). Exercise‐stimulated interleukin‐15 is controlled by AMPK and regulates skin metabolism and aging. Aging cell, 14(4), 625-634. [Pubmed]
3. Colletti, et al (1989). The effects of muscle-building exercise on bone mineral density of the radius, spine, and hip in young men. Calcified tissue international, 45(1), 12-14. [Pubmed]
4. O’Donoghue et al (2021). What exercise prescription is optimal to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults living with obesity? A network meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews, 22(2), e13137. [Pubmed]
5. Virtanen, et al (1993). Effect of concentric exercise on serum muscle and collagen markers. Journal of applied physiology, 75(3), 1272-1277. [Pubmed]
6. Suominen, H. (1993). Bone mineral density and long term exercise. Sports Medicine, 16(5), 316-330. [Pubmed]

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