It’s time to get moving

Dr Becky Howie explains why physical activity is so vital for your overall wellbeing – regardless of age

This month, I want to focus on movement. I was prompted to write about this after seeing a patient who believed that exercise is primarily for weight loss.  

Evidence shows that exercise isn’t an effective strategy for weight loss. Our bodies attempt to maintain equilibrium, which means they work to keep our weight stable, often triggering hormone releases that stimulate appetite. If you’ve trained hard for an event, you might notice your appetite significantly increases to compensate for your energy expenditure. Don’t get me wrong; physical activity does contribute, but weight loss is fundamentally about nutrition. Have you heard the saying: “You can’t outrun a bad diet?” There is a great deal of truth in it.