Wednesday musings, 8/17/16: Exercise and confidence

A client I work with once a month came in recently. As we moved from warm-ups to standing exercise, he commented, “my pants are a lot looser than they used to be. I haven’t lost any weight, but my body has changed.”

I often hear this from clients. I don’t do high intensity workouts, focusing instead on strength, mobility, motor control, and skill. Yet, people experience profound changes in their bodies without seeing the numbers on the scales budge. Because their clothes fit differently, this increases confidence and provides feedback that maybe exercise can make a difference in their overall well-being.

Research demonstrates there is no correlation between weight loss and exercise.* However, exercise changes the physiological system on a cellular level, altering metabolic and inflammatory markers. This allows the entire inner you to work a little more efficiently. As things work a little bit better, it makes sense the changes would move outward, eventually impacting posture and physical appearance. At the end of the day, a body that works well and gives you a sense of strength and confidence matters more than a number on the scale.

*https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/28/study-reveals-that-exercise-alone-wont-cause-weight-loss