Why you should exercise

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When you think about going on a diet, your primary reason is typically to lose weight. And so you count the calories meticulously and avoid eating unhealthy food. The problem with this thinking is that what you visualise as being your “ideal” weight does not usually result in you achieving the actual body shape you hope you will look like when you see yourself in the mirror.

People often say, “I want to lose 16 lbs” (pick your own number) but the reality is that it’s irrelevant. What if you weighed 30% more but had a body to make you proud?

And so, just losing weight means you’ll be a smaller version of your current self. You might have slimmer arms but you’ll still have a paunch albeit a smaller one. Is that what you really want?

If the numbers are all that matters and what you look like is less important then you’ll have achieved your goals, otherwise, if you’re visualising a flat abdomen and an hourglass figure, losing weight (and monitoring your scales) should not be your top priority.

And this is why exercise is just as important as watching your calorie intake. By picking the right exercises, not only will you improve your cardiovascular system, strength, agility, balance and overall fitness, you can achieve a body recomposition, increasing the amount of lean muscle mass and reducing your adipose tissue (or fat as it is commonly known). You will look much better proportioned than you would had you simply lost weight, with elegant, shapely, firm limbs and a more healthy looking belly.