The Role of Exercise in Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight is a goal shared by many, but achieving and sustaining it often feels like an uphill battle. While diet is a critical factor, exercise plays an equally vital role in both losing weight and keeping it off. Weight management is a critical component of overall health and well-being. It is the process of adopting long-term lifestyle modifications to maintain a healthy body weight based on a person’s age, sex, and height. With rising rates of obesity and related health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, maintaining a healthy weight has become more important than ever. Among the many strategies to control body weight, exercise stands out as a fundamental pillar. Exercise provides a means of increasing energy expenditure and may help adjust energy balance for weight loss and maintenance. At least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per day is recommended for weight loss and maintenance but greater amounts appear to increase the magnitude of weight loss and maintenance. The most obvious benefit of exercise is its ability to burn calories, helping to create the deficit needed for weight loss. Different forms of exercise burn involve walking, running, cycling and swimming. When people lose weight through diet alone, a portion of that weight is often muscle, not just fat. Studies consistently show that exercise alone can lead to modest weight loss, but its real power lies in helping maintain that loss.

The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks individuals who have successfully lost significant weight and kept it off, found that over 90% of participants exercised regularly, most often by walking. Resistance training has recently been shown to have positive effects on body composition but does not typically show significant decreases in weight. Regardless of weight loss, both aerobic exercise and resistance training have been shown to diminish risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Since exercise is only effective if sustained, behavioural strategies such as self-monitoring, goal setting and social support are used to help individuals start and maintain exercise programs and show improved results compared to exercise programs without behavioural strategies. Evidences have indicated that exercise is an important component of weight loss and perhaps the best predictor of weight maintenance.

In conclusion, exercise is a powerful tool for weight management, offering far more than just calorie burn. It boosts metabolism, builds muscle, regulates appetite, and provides mental health benefits that make healthy choices easier. While it may not always produce dramatic weight loss on its own, when combined with a healthy diet, regular physical activity is key to achieving and sustaining a healthy weight. Rather than viewing exercise as a temporary fix, it should be embraced as a lifelong habit. Even small, consistent efforts can lead to big results over time. Whether you’re just beginning your fitness journey or looking to maintain progress, remember: the best workout is the one you enjoy and can stick with.

By Elizabeth Athanhoegbe