The Real Goal of Exercise – It’s Not All About Looks

Just because you’re thin doesn’t mean that you’re healthy. Sure, there seem to be plenty of people who are born with great metabolisms and freakishly good health that they can’t seem to mar, no matter how damaging their lifestyle. But nobody lives forever, and whether the effects are visible or not, an unhealthy lifestyle will certainly decrease your life expectancy. And just because you’re not as thin as a rail doesn’t mean that you’re unhealthy, either. Many people are naturally bigger, but they will live longer because they take care of their bodies and focus more on their overall health than simply on their physical appearance.

There are two important factors to good health: diet and exercise. Some people stay away from trans-fats and free radicals and high fructose corn syrup or whatever other food buzzwords are floating around. But unless you supplement a healthy diet with exercise, you won’t be receiving the maximum benefits of the nutrients your body takes in. The human body is engineered to make efficient use of the fuel it takes in. If you’re not burning off that fuel, then your metabolism will slow down and your body will take to depositing any extra fuel in fat cells.

Exercise is one of the healthiest habits you can implement in your life. But many people become disillusioned with exercise when they feel like they’ve worked so hard for so long and the scale just isn’t showing the results of their efforts. First of all, you must remember that the purpose of exercise isn’t primarily to improve your physical appearance, but your overall health. Second of all, you’ve got to know where to look in order to see the results. You may not have lost much weight, but if you measure yourself, you’ll probably find that you’ve dropped inches.

And while exercise isn’t all about looks, it certainly will help. As your body gains muscle, you’ll burn fat and tone up. Cardio workouts will burn up most of your carbohydrate stores, leaving nothing but fat for your muscles to burn. While the scale might not reflect it initially, you’ll lose inches as you lose fat and gain muscle, revealing a new, healthier shape. And, with consistency, your metabolism will speed up and losing excess bulk will come easier. But as long as you implement a good exercise regimen with your overall health at the focus, you’re sure to be satisfied with the new you.