A sports doctor has clarified a truth that many don’t want to hear: exercise is very good for your health, but it usually doesn’t result in significant weight loss.
“I exercise almost every day but my weight doesn’t change. So what’s the point?” he wrote. Die Washington PostDoctor Jorand D. Metzl.
According to him, exercise has great benefits for the body and mind: it reduces the risk of heart disease, improves blood sugar levels, strengthens bones, preserves memory and reduces the risk of depression, cancer and premature death.
However, one area where they often “fail” is weight loss.
He tells of a patient in her 50s who walked regularly, exercised and ate healthily, but whose weight barely changed. Your question was simple:
“What’s the point of exercising if nothing moves on the scale?”
The problem, according to the doctor, is that people focus on the number on the scale while their overall health is significantly improving.
Large studies show that exercise without changing your diet leads to minimal weight loss, often just a few pounds over a few months. The reason for this is that the body “compensates” for this by increasing appetite or conserving energy for other functions.
A 2024 study showed that overweight people who exercised regularly improved their fitness and metabolism, but lost very little weight.
As we age, the situation becomes even more difficult as metabolism slows and muscle mass decreases. Losing weight would require very intense training, which is often not possible.
But that doesn’t mean exercises are useless.
“The exercises work brilliantly, we’re just asking them to do the wrong thing,” emphasizes the doctor.
Even without weight loss, physical activity significantly improves metabolic health, reduces dangerous fat around organs, and lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Even short movements throughout the day have great benefits.
According to the doctor, there is also an important message regarding modern weight loss drugs, such as GLP-1.
Although they help you lose weight, rapid weight loss can be accompanied by muscle loss, affecting strength, flexibility and long-term health.
“I would much rather have a slightly overweight but physically active person than a thin and passive person,” he said.
date: 2026-02-11 01:44:00