Do I Really Need to Exercise to Lose Weight?
If you haven’t been exercising in the last few years or decades, it’s a daunting proposition. And if you’re significantly overweight (40 or more pounds), you may be very self-conscious exercising in public. So you may be asking, "Can I just skip the exercise part of the diet and exercise?".
Yes, you can.
No, you shouldn’t.
Here’s why.
Not everyone can exercise. I know a lovely woman who was 90 pounds overweight, but confined to a wheelchair due to a disability. She lost the 90 pounds (although slowly) with a sensible diet.
I know there are lots of people who find exercise very difficult or painful, like with arthritis and some other diseases. Others who can’t walk. Are they doomed to staying overweight because they can’t exercise?
No. With a sensible (and possibly doctor-supervised) diet, even people who cannot exercise can lose weight.
That being said — if you can exercise at all, you should, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes a day.
It doesn’t count if you can physically exercise but say you can’t due to schedules or travel or the fact that the sun rises in the morning. There are exercises you can do in an office chair, resistance bands that fit into a small purse. Not to mention just plain walking!
I’m the first to admit that I am, or was, a couch potato. That the thought of exercising made me feel faint. I didn’t want to go out in public or to a gym. And to top it all off, I had a leg injury that prevented me from walking very far.
But I was able to do some strength training with resistance bands. Able to do some simple balance ball routines. Not a whole lot, but every little bit makes a difference. I’m still struggling with the walking, as I can make it only a half mile before the pain sets in, but I’ll get there eventually.
Yes, you really should exercise if you’re physically able. You don’t have to start a big routine right away (unless you want to). Just make the effort to start and remember that every little bit counts.
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