Exercising should be a regular part of our weekly schedule, even if we aren’t trying to lose weight. The health benefits are undeniable, whether the lazy ones among us (like yours truly) may have some objections.
But when it comes to weight loss, the golden rule is simple – you need to create a caloric deficit. That’s why, ultimately, diet plays a more important role than exercising. So if all you can manage is a little exercise now and then, why bother?
Would a Little Exercise Really Make a Difference?
In a nutshell, yes!
Regular exercising is crucial for your health, but even small workouts count. Once you start looking at the bigger picture, you will see how even a bit of physical activity will ultimately help your weight loss journey. If you think beyond achieving quick weight loss, you will start creating healthy habits that will eventually influence your metabolism.
I am not a very active person, which is one of the main reasons I struggle with my weight. I’m not too fond of sports and also don’t have a lot of time for exercising. So to keep my weight under control, I focus on what and how much I eat.
But one of the best pieces of advice I got regarding weight loss was this one: move as much as you can; even a little exercise will give your metabolism a slight boost. Counting calories isn’t everything when it comes to losing weight. You need to train your body to react to your weight loss efforts, and a bit of activity can help with that.
How Efficient Are Exercises for Weight loss?
Workouts are definitely healthy, but do they play an essential part in losing weight? Do they influence the balance enough when we’re struggling with the caloric deficit? A popular diet rule says that you should focus 80% on diet and 20% on exercise to lose weight. I’ve also read about a 90%-10% strategy.
That means that a workout regime is not mandatory, and you can actually lose weight without exercising. The fact is calculating your calories every day is more challenging than you think. You cannot always be sure how many calories you consume, and estimating how many calories you have burned is even more complicated.
Specialists point out that we often get to overestimated caloric deficits because our workouts actually burn fewer calories than we estimate. Your activity tracker may show exaggerated results, which will affect your caloric deficit at the end of the day.
Why Exercise Then?
It may not tilt the caloric balance in your favor as strongly as you want, but it still helps. Even a little exercise will indirectly support your weight loss. Here’s how:
Exercising prevents you from losing muscle mass while reducing the calories
Lowering the numbers on your scale is great, but you want those lost pounds to be fat and water, not muscle. If you rely solely on diet changes, your body will start eating through your muscle mass as well to get the much-needed energy.
Since you cannot target your body’s fat stores specifically, the best thing to do is add a little exercise to the mix. That way, while doing exercises to burn fat, you will actually be preserving and even growing your muscle mass. Your scale may show the same numbers, but your measurements will be different. Isn’t that a great workout motivation?
Being active improves your blood circulation and helps burn fat
Your body is designed to move, so when you aren’t active, it doesn’t function as well as it should. If you don’t move around enough, you may reach a metabolic block. Not putting your muscles to work will reduce your blood circulation.
From a weight loss point of view, that means you won’t use enough of that sugar your blood carries and that you will burn less fat.
A little exercise will raise your confidence in yourself and in your diet
You need a positive mind frame to lose weight, as it’s not an easy endeavor. And not being able to eat everything you want can be stressful, so you need to keep your weight loss motivation high all the way through.
Even a gentle exercise will help you feel better about yourself. Something as small as a 10min workout at home can boost your self-confidence. After a little exercise, you will feel energized and motivated to stick to your diet.
You may also like my article on the importance of small victories in weight loss.
What Qualifies as ‘a Little Exercise?’
The minimum exercises you can do to help with your weight loss are difficult to estimate. It all depends on your schedule, diet, and your workout motivation. Find the level that works for you.
You can either set a minimum level that you consider doable in the long run and stick to the plan. Or you can simply decide to be more active every day, in different ways. Many of your daily activities can include exercise moves; you don’t have to hit the gym every day to check the ‘workout’ table.
If you don’t know how to work out, take it one step at a time, maybe starting in your comfort zone. There are many effective at-home workouts you can try, and for many of them, you don’t even need at-home exercise equipment.
Any beginner exercises you feel comfortable trying are good exercises. A basic workout may not be as intensive as HIIT exercises, but it’s still efficient. Start with a few stretching exercises and see how you feel.
Still haven’t found your workout inspo? Then don’t think of it in terms of working out; stick to the basics. A walking to lose weight plan can be an excellent approach, especially if you plan on losing many pounds. Just get an activity tracker and start walking; it will help your metabolism and work wonders for your health.
A Little Exercise Will Take You a Long Way
If you aren’t an active person and are stuck on a chair all day, even a slight change will matter. Adding a little exercise to your schedule will help you create healthy habits. For example, a short walk at the end of the day may seem annoying at first. But you will soon feel the benefits of being even a bit active and will feel motivated to continue.
The key is not to be set on how to lose weight quickly, but rather to look at the big picture and set realistic goals. Of course, if you want to get in shape, diet comes first. But exercising is also important, even in small doses.
Written by Mia Davis