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This is sort of a "questions of the week".  Although, a specific question wasn't asked about this topic, I've had multiple people show their confusion with understanding that even though they're working out and might not be losing weight, they're still healthier than skinny people who don't work out at all.  I've decided to write this to explain why this is true.

First thing, for most of us, the reward we're looking for with putting in good workout after good workout is a change in body composition, whether it be losing fat or increasing muscle, or both.  When that doesn't happen, a lot of us get extremely discouraged ... to the point that we quit exercising altogether.  A perfect example is the New Year's resolution people.  So many start out fired up to get results; what they don't realize is that the body doesn't just have a switch you can turn on and immediately start losing weight, it takes a lot of time and effort.  I'm sure you've heard this before but it takes awhile to put the weight on, and it's going to take awhile to get it off.  You don't just wake up one day to find that you've put on twenty pounds and can't fit into your clothes anymore ... it's a gradual process.  The same with losing the weight.  You can't just step onto a scale after a few weeks of working out and expect to have lost four pounds, for some yes, but for MOST, no.  Ninety-two percent of resolutions fail ... 92%!  Now even though not all resolutions are fitness related, that's still a whopping amount.  And I'd venture to say that this number has already been achieved by this year's resolutioners (even though that's not a word).  Why do they fail?  It's because of short-term thinking.  We want results now; we're not willing to earn them over time.  Well guess what.  Even if the weight isn't coming off as fast as you would like, or maybe it's being put on when you want it to come off, you still are getting results.  You're moving, and that's the most important thing.

Weight loss or muscle gain is just one benefit of exercise; there are a vast number of other benefits that are just as important.  Exercise strengthens bones, meaning you're less likely to break something or develop osteoporosis.  Exercise increases energy.  It improves sleep, which is extremely important for regulating the hormones that control our body composition and health in general.  Exercise also helps stimulate our metabolism.  What does that mean?  It means our muscles are healthier and instead of deteriorating into a pile of mush, they stay fit and continue to strengthen. 

What else does exercise help with?  It improves coordination, balance, stability, and reaction time.  Slip on some ice?  Without these four components, you may end up with a broken bone or something even worse, as what happened to Dr. Atkins. 

Exercise helps regulate the function of other hormones, like those in the thyroid.  Exercise controls blood pressure.  Many of the clients I've worked with over the years have been able to lower their blood pressure through exercise, meaning many have been able to reduce or completely come off their blood pressure medication.  The same with diabetes.  Exercise helps regulate blood sugar levels to the point that medications can be reduced.  Exercise also helps control cholesterol, also lessening the dependence on a regulatory medicine.  

Going along with strong bones, exercises helps prevent vertebral disk deterioration, as well as joint cartilage deterioration.  Lack of exercise leads to the thickening of connective tissue; this thickening leads to decreases in flexibility and the creation of painful areas in the body called trigger points.  Also, lack of exercise means the quality of our blood vessels is decreased, as well as the quality of the heart, meaning the development of things like heart disease.

Now guess what.  Skinny people who don't exercise ... they're not invincible.  Even though they may not look it, inside, all of these positive things aren't happening and many of the negative things are.  Just because a house appears nice on the outside doesn't mean it's not a wreck on the inside ... the same with someone who appears to be healthy because they look good in their clothes.  So whatever you do, don't give up.  Weight loss is just one benefit to exercise; there are so many equally important ones that aren't visible.  If you're patient enough, the fat loss will come, but if you give up, all these other benefits that you're currently getting from being active will go away, and that's something you definitely can't afford to miss out on.          

Dan Falkenberg, BA, ACE-CPT, NASM-PES

Dan Falkenberg is the cofounder of Your Live Trainers.  He can be reached at DanFalkenberg.com.

The Fat Dissolver Program; it features over 50 of the exercises I use with my own clients.  You can download them to your computer, watch them on your iPod/iPhone, or turn them into two DVDs of your own.  Get full access for only $4.95!

Tags: cardiovascular exercise, exercise selection, question of the week, weight loss