Exercise for exercise NOT to lose weight!

If you don’t enjoy what you do, why do it? If you don’t like to exercise, maybe there’s something skewed about your aim for exercise. One reason I feel interest in exercise often diminishes is the overwhelming pressure to lose weight. When it doesn’t happen the desire for exercise fades away.

Whether it is lack of pleasure or obsession about weight loss let’s try to reframe the picture. Finding a reason to exercise beyond losing weight is a great liberator. It opens up new doors and allows you the freedom to do what makes you feel good.

It might involve changing the type of exercise you do, finding a new instructor and or simply thinking different. In order to get beyond exercising for weight loss one needs a new motive. Here’s a short list of potential reasons to exercise:

Energy and moral booster
Stress reliever
Mental distraction from life challenges
Promotes regular sleep patterns
Feel inspired by the physical and mental challenges
Enhances breathing which aids with stress levels
Preserves and maintains the health of muscles and bones
Enhances overall body mobility

My own personal favorite not listed above is that I rarely get sick. I believe because I exercise regularly this helps keeps common colds and other illnesses at bay. That’s my own science experiment of two, husband and myself!

I could go on and on as to the benefits of exercise. Plus, I haven’t even touched on maybe the most important advantage of all; brain function. Dr. John Ratey’s book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain is a phenomenal scientific exploration of the positive effects of exercise on our brains. His work investigates exercise benefits such as:

“Exercise is truly the best defense against everything from mood disorders to ADHD to addiction to menopause to Alzheimer’s.”

Long story short is you can read all the evidence you want but find a reason that fits YOU. There is no one size fits all but if you can break the chains from exercising “only to lose weight” the road might be easier and a heck of a lot more fun.

This is closely tied to my philosophy that food should be for performance not punishment. And exercise needs a similar mantra that fits all sizes, shapes and ages. Being able to move efficiently and enjoy life with pleasure is beyond the realm of a number on a scale.

What can I do?

Choose a reason that fits your lifestyle and beliefs. Be open to change. Whatever the goal, choose one that lights your fire.

The suggestions below are inspired from clients I’ve worked with over the years. There are hundreds more to be discovered. Or fill in the blank with your own creative idea.