Do you give up if you're not losing weight after working out? You might be mistaken, as a renowned neurologist claims that exercise is good for your general health even if it doesn't aid in weight loss.
This was said by Sudhir Kumar of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, who cited a recent study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The US study, led by Harvard University researchers, showed that exercise improves several important indicators for obese persons, regardless of weight loss.
“If exercise does not lead to weight loss, is it worthless? The answer is NO,” Sudhir said on X.com.
According to the neurologist in Hyderabad, several patients complain that they haven't lost much weight even after exercising.
He said “They lose hope and want to quit exercising. My advice to them is not to give up and continue exercising.”
“A desire to lose weight is one of the main motivators for people to exercise, but it should not be the sole aim of exercising,” the doctor added.
He went on to say that consistent exercise has several health advantages (regardless of weight loss) that include “increased insulin sensitivity, lowering of blood pressure, HbA1C, serum triglycerides, increase in HDL or good cholesterol, improvement in sleep quality and quantity, depressive symptoms, lower risk of diabetes, stroke and heart attack, improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 Max), and muscle mass and muscle strength.”
Sudhir said “These result in lower risk of premature mortality, lesser healthcare-related expenditure, and increase in healthy lifespan.”
He further said “Do not stop exercising if weight loss is not seen. A healthy diet (carbohydrate restriction) plays a significant role in weight loss.”