Why Any Movement is Better Than Nothing
Forget the scales – there is so much more to any weight loss journey, especially with renu. Creating a lifestyle that is beneficial, whilst being enjoyable and sustainable over time is our primary goal. Short-term results are great; the months and years following your renu journey are just as (if not more) important.
One key aspect of such a lifestyle is movement. You may have constructed what you believe to be the ‘perfect’ diet, but without movement you risk missing out on some amazing health benefits.
This does not mean you have to run a marathon every day! Simply standing up and moving is the most important thing you can do at the start of your journey. From there, you will be amazed at how your life can change in terms of your physical, mental, and metabolic health.
How Movement Benefits Your Physical Health
Of course, movement will be valuable for changes in body composition. That is, you may stay the same weight, but the content of this weight will be different. You may lose some fat and gain muscle mass using exercise – although you stay the same weight, your body composition has improved.
With movement comes improved fitness, strength and mobility. In some cases, these changes can be life changing, as they radically improve your quality of life. This is because you will have the physical capacity to do what you love every day. Whether it’s cleaning, working, playing with the kids, gardening, cooking – movement will help you lead the life you want to live.
How Movement Benefits Your Mental Health
While not technically related to mental health, movement’s effect on your mental health can be simply too important to ignore. Movement will help you sleep better and longer at night, so that you are full of energy the following day.
Movement is also amazing for your mood. If you have ever been out for a walk in the fresh air, you will have experienced the exhilarating burst of energy you get. Movement strategies like this are not only great for your energy, but they can reduce stress, anxiety and provide feelings of happiness and purpose.
With increased energy levels also comes a sharper mind and improved cognition. This is particularly valuable when you are at work, so you can hope to see improvements in occupation performance.
Although movement is physical by nature, keep in mind the wonderful effects that it can have on your brain to vastly improve your life.
How Movement Benefits Your Metabolic Health
Last but certainly not least, movement will help with your metabolic health. Put simply, this means that movement will help with how the cells of your body process and produce energy.
One major benefit is the effect of movement on insulin resistance. Movement improves the ability of your cells to take up and use blood sugar, which can help avoid or manage type 2 diabetes.
The other amazing effect of long-term movement is the dampening of inflammation which underlies most chronic conditions, from general pain and obesity to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. By quelling this inflammation, your quality of life will vastly improve, and movement is one of the best ways to do so.
Sources
- Is the Comparison between Exercise and Pharmacologic Treatment of Depression in the Clinical Practice Guideline of the American College of Physicians Evidence-Based?
- Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality
- Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise
- Acute Effects of Exercise on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analytic Investigation
Author
Clinically reviewed by David Morgan
