Physical activity burns calories, reduces appetite, aids in reducing stress, and fills time that could have been spent maintaining unhealthy patterns of behavior, so the health benefits of exercise are numerous. And while it has a great influence on overall health, exercise remains one of the most important steps we can toward toward losing weight and improving the health conditions associated with excess weight.



Some individuals wishing to lose weight may believe that dieting is enough, and a change in diet can lead the way to a slimmer waist. However, most people must make other lifestyle changes to most successfully lose weight and maintain weight loss. Emotional support from others, whether from family and friends or from a mental health professional, can help an individual adopt a healthier lifestyle, and learning about the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise can also improve health outcomes. In many cases, however, exercise is crucial, and those who engage in daily physical activities achieve greater weight loss than those who do not exercise or who do not exercise regularly. Additionally, exercise can be as much a way of preventing further weight gain as it was a way of shedding pounds. People whose diets stick are generally more attentive to dietary regulations when they first begin, and many will cheat over time. Exercise can be an important way for dieters to ensure that they can afford to break their diet once in a while.

Exercise is an important element of staying healthy, but this does not mean that gym memberships and formal exercise classes are a necessity. By adding more physical activities to our everyday routines, such as taking a walk or using stairs instead of the elevator, we move toward healthier lives. And while following a structured diet may help, for most of us, eating well while also exercising regularly is the most effective way to lose weight.