As January draws to a close, you may be thinking to yourself, “I really ought to get a move on with those new year's resolutions.” For many people, losing weight is at the top of that list of “I ought to’s,” but it’s important to remember the overlooked benefits of exercise and nutrition. According to an expert from St. Louis University, the recipe for a healthier and happier you requires looking “beyond the scale.”
“I have a lot more energy and I feel better about myself,” says Dr. Ethel Frese, professor of physical therapy at SLU. Frese is 64, exuberant, and fiery. “When you feel better about yourself, you carry yourself better,” she says. “You project a more positive image and I think people see that.” These are values she instills in her students and her children. Her daughter, she says, alway takes the stairs instead of the escalator, with a loud voice in the back of her head scolding her if she does otherwise.
Photo courtesy of St. Louis University
Dr. Ethel Frese believes in the myriad benefits of exercising besides weight loss.
St. Louis University experts detail exercise health benefits that include some rather surprising bonuses. Staying active reduces stress and increases endorphins that help you think and feel in a more positive way. Exercise helps with insomnia and restlessness. It also fights heart disease, bone loss, high blood pressure, arthritis, and even reduces the development of cancer. The list goes on.
“The problem with diet alone is that when you lose weight, you also lose muscle mass.” Frese says. Less muscle mass results in a slower metabolic rate and less calorie burn. Frese follows the “everything in moderation” mantra. She doesn’t deprive herself of the occasional guilty pleasure. “Diet isn’t so much what you eat. To me, it’s a way of eating.”
While maintaining a healthy weight is an important goal to set for the new year, SLU recommends a change in perspective: see exercise as a contributor to a positive lifestyle, rather than to weight loss. This shift in attitude makes the commitment less of a daunting and tedious task.
Healthy activity doesn’t have to be devoted exercise. “Exercise versus physical activity is important,” Frese says. “Intervals can be very helpful. For some people, trying to carve out 45 minutes in the day for exercise can be challenging, but incorporating exercise for 10 minutes here and there of physical activity can be just as effective.” This includes taking the stairs, going for a brisk walk, or even cleaning the house. “Those all count. It doesn’t have to be high-intensity workouts to get the health benefits.”
“Feeling good about yourself is important,” Frese says. “Exercise really does play a role in that.”
