Benefits of physical activity for fighting obesity

A sedentary life can increase the risk of certain illnesses associated with obesity; type 2 diabetes, cancer, arthritis etc. At the same time a sedentary life increases your appetite.

“Below a certain level of physical activity, fat reserves will become very difficult to put into use. The body automatically sends out messages of hunger, in order to trigger eating which will supply it with the energy it needs,” Dr. Didier Chapelot, director of the degree course in Adapted Physical Education at Paris 13 University, explains. To break this vicious circle, exercising regularly will stimulate the nervous system and improve the effectiveness of insulin (a hormone secreted after eating a meal), which stops the body storing up fat. There is nothing like sport for fighting against obesity and associated illnesses. 

Physical activity, especially when it is intense, allows you to gain muscle mass little by little. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn even when your body is resting! So, if you concentrate on getting a balanced diet at the same time, you will put on weight less easily, and in this way you will be able to train your body to shed extra kilograms. Dr. Chapelot insists: “The amount of extra energy you burn as a result of physical activity is not generally compensated for by a proportional increase in calories in your meals, and your body will prefer to use up its reserves.” 

Even if you do not lose a large amount of weight from the first few weeks of taking exercise, your figure will slim down and your body will get firmer every day, plus it is excellent for your general state of mind. “Physical exercise also allows you to burn up fat stored in your lower abdomen, which can be the most dangerous for your health from a cardiovascular perspective.”

 

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