Is exercising really worth it?

I have a high metabolism too and weight really wasn't a problem even after 4 children, the surgeries every two years after that though is what did a number on my body though. I didn't excersize but did do yoga to keep my muscles streatched and help tone them. I did walk a bit and that helped too. I think that excerising 4 or 5 times a day is what did the number on you. Loosing weight is good but you have to do it slowly over a period of time. 10 pounds might not seem like a lot but when you put your body through a lot of excersize and then just stop cold turkey you are doing more harm then good. I am all for keeping fit, but it has to be done in baby steps and any weight lost has to be done at a rate so your body can not only adjust, but maintain. This is why I go for more toning excersizes then a mass cardio workout.

I am a bit of an exercise freak. After always being a little over weight as a child three years ago I thought enough was enough I was beginning to suffere with depression at the time so I joined my local gym. It was easy to pick up how to use the machines and I soon lost half a stone. However like you I did notice I was hungry alot more perhaps just because I needed to replenish some of the energy lost. However this is all good in theory but once you have started exercising as a way of life it pretty much needs to be continued. I gained an injury a year or so ago and couldn't exercise for a while so I stopped attending the gym...my muscles slowly turned back to fat and I found I lost a major amount of tone and my fitness level had decreased massively. Just recently though I have taken up running and just put myself in for my first 5k race hopefully building up to a marathon one day. But I couldn't believe how much I actually enjoy running in comparison to the gym. It's a much freer form of exercise the only problem I have is the discipline to get out there and do it. This is the sole reason i've put myself forward for a race. This gives me enough motivation to get out there and do it. The fact i've also splashed out on really expensive GPS watch helps too because I want to get my moneys worth out of it. In my opion exercise is well worth the effort it can be a way of keeping fit, healthy, can be looked on as a hobby and it really did help me out of my depression when I was younger because after a good workout your body just buzzes.

Maybe fasting is the problem? If you fast it can slow your metabolism. Your body goes into starvation mode just like it does with anorexics. Then when you finally eat, you will gain. I do notice that I eat more while exercising though, and I have gained weight. However, overall I am definitely healthier from running/cycling/swimming this summer. I love exercising, so for me I don't mind that I put on a little weight. I wouldn't stop, I'd just try to control my eating habits a bit more. I guess I should hop on that exercise bike tonight. :)

I think little steps would help, so that the hunger pang would not be so much felt. If you live in an apartment say 4th or 5th floor, try using the stairs instead of the elevator each time. Wake up early, do your marketing and walk the mile. Instead of taking a bus or other means of transport to get from point A to point B, if the distance is pretty convenient, walk it. Do lots of errands that involve walking, I believe it can increase your metabolism. Do this slowly and gradually. If you feel like demotivated or feeling pangs of hunger, give in to your cravings but take very minimal servings just to whet the appetite. Hope this helps yeah..

hi dex, it is quite natural that if you excercise, you will be craving for more food. You have to maintain your food intake while excercising, that helps I think only that helps. If you excercise and eat more then there is no effect. I wasnt bulky but I had atyre around my waist and decided to get a flat stomach. I did by excercising..Intially I felt very hungry, but I resisted more food intake by drinking more water and leaving stomach empty say 1/3rd...that is what was said by our prophet sawlm. The hunger is only foe a few intial days, try overcoming it and you will have a toned body. All the best...You neednt go for jogging or running, do it at home, free hand excercise between meals, say one hour after and before any mela is the perfect time for excercise. Good luck

....Hi dex1007, Enjoyed all the comments, great information. Will add that moderation is the key word in all of it. Taking it slow, so that you will continue to do things which help you in the long run. Women especially lose bone mass as we get older and exercising I have read, increases your bone mass, which is a good thing. If you are gaining weight, try chewing your food each time you eat into the consistency of baby food, this will aid in digestion and reduce the possibility of gaining weight. Also try to drink more water, which may have you visiting the "garden of Eden" as I call my bathroom, because you get naked in your bathroom as Adam and Eve were :o), but it will also help with losing weight, try cutting down on your salt intake as well. Moderation and pacing yourself will keep you moving and help you be healthy and fit. Easy does it. Take care.

I've always exercised. It is good for your heart, your metabolism and general overall health. It keeps your muscles not only toned but flexible. I don't want to be one of these people who can barely get around and that could happen if you don't remain active and fit. I don't jog because of asthma but I do walk whenever I can. I also do pushups, situps, the hula hoop & yoga. I do know that when you stop for a while that it is hard to get back into. You kind of have to take it slow and build up your endurance and strength again. If you are tired of jogging, maybe a different form of excersise would be more interesting for you.

I love to exercise but I realise at times it's hard to get the balance right. I tend to exercise at least three times per week and I seem to be losing weight at times but then I will eat something and all the work of exercising has gone down the pan. I love cycling too and I think that this is a very enjoyable form of exercise. I think that you have to love the exercise you are doing in order for you to continue with it. Exercising around four to five times per day though I would probably say was quite excessive. I think that the best form of exercise is something relating to aerobics like swimming, running or cycling. I don't swim and I don't like running so I choose to cycle on a regular basis. I try not to place too much pressure on myself anyhow. Andrew

hello, dex1007, I want to say doing excercise in a proper way always works. i think C is impossible, as long as you do the excertise, you body function is getting better, and if after you stop excertise, you get ever worse, that's because you stop exertise, and you eat the same as before, the fat accumulate again in your body and you though you are getting worse. I always have a good commments on excercising. if you want to lose weight, I think maybe you can try yoga, which is more effective. Some of my colleagues attended joga class, I can see it works! or you can join in any belly dance class. I have ever joined a belly dance class and I dance for one hour every 2 days, I lose 1kg in a month!!! I think only those which can help you lose weight slowly is healty way. Don't try to think lose 5kg a month, that's risky!!!

I miss my high metabolism. My mother promised me it would go downhill somewhere in my 30s, and she was right. I have certain health conditions that preclude many vigorous exercises, so I do some that are "tailor made" for me. Is exercise good? Absolutely. The key is to finding one you actually enjoy, so that it seems like fun rather than work. Then it'll be no trouble staying with it. Karen

My metabolism is slow. Perhaps because I have matured now. It really takes a lot of determination to lose weight. I must say that exercising is really worth it. When you stopped doing it, and then you turn to eating so much, definitely you will gain weight. One should really do on and persevere when one wants to attain something.

Hi Dex Well to be honest with you i have to say jogging is quite a good exercise and it helps to loose weight, the only problem with it is that you need to continue doing it on a daily basis, if you are stopping in between then your body might be getting loose back again... any basic exercise should be done regularly and if like you said you had a fasting month in between and so you had a month long gap and it is a must that you will gain back a little weight but you can again start slowly, need not jog much just a few mins and keep it increasing slowly and you can get back to track, as you said you have a nice metabolism, so i am sure that would help you get back faster, so i think you need to start jogging back again taking things lightly and then gradually increasing it with time and day. . . apparently normal light exercises you can have a gap coz they aren't much heavy on the body so it doesn't really matter much but jogging isn't light and so try to keep jogging regularly and before you reach the fasting month again slow down and do smaller exercises and i think it should all be fine then . . . all the best Dex... have a nice day!

I am not much of a jogger neither. Since you are an undergraduate, you can always go the the gym, can't you? Do consider swimming and stationary bicycling. It build up fantastic aerobics and pumps up your heart's strength! As for fats accumulation of the arms and body, do rigorous sit up exercises. Weight lifting not only improve strength but can tone your arms of that "large-like" look. Relax, life is short. Do not get frustrated. Go out to a nearby mall with friends and do some window shopping

I was doing very well with an exercise routine. A few weeks ago my kids got sick. I have not exercised since before then. I can't even get the motivation to do so. I have workouts that are fun and I love, but I just can't seem to do them. In the past nothing has relieved stress more than a good workout. Maybe I'm not stressed out enough. I do not want to lose weight, I am looking to tone up flabby areas. Maybe I just need something different. To change the routine up once in awhile.

well, jogging is not all that great for your knees anyways. i think staying active and busy are great and only if you want to work on spots such as your stomach do you need to exercise and of course, you have to watch what you eat.

Hi there dex.. Personaly, the exercising is very help to loose my weight, especially with jogging or walking. And you know what, after i do my exercise, my appetite remained. I am really glad that exercise is working for me, and i thing so are you dex, dont get fast of your frustation, just keep on it.:) Happy mylotting, Good Luck:)

According to my experience, I felt more hungry after excercising. And no weight gained if I stop exercising.If I eat less, really, weight gone more or less. But except weight issuse,I think exercising is a good way to refresh yourslef. Everytime when I feel really tired and can not be concentrated, I will take some exercising. It really works if you sweat a lot during the exercise. So I really enjoy the exercising and the feeling of sweating. And I do India Yoga these days. It's a really good exercise that I want to recommend you. No machine needed, the only things you need are your body and a piece of pad. Not so much spaces needed. And also, it's got more fun than runing or jog such kind of things. It's more easier to insist on day by day.Maybe your weight still so much but your shape must be better after a period of yoga exercise.

I easily get tired when I began to exercise. It only takes a minute for me to exercise then rest. There are some who told me that it's effective if you really participate to minimize eating some fatty and with carbohydrates foods.

i think that excercising is worth it even if you aren't losing weight. and this is just because you are simply doing it! doing excercise is like living life. if you are disabled and do not have a job, at least you can get things done even if you are not validly putting bread on the table by a concrete job- if you don't have a job. i just compared these two to make a point. excercise can simply be an activity that is fun! doing excercise takes time, and time is important because it is in the day. it also lets you experience different genres of life like the outside, and music, also friends. even if you don't lose weight you can still be healthy. it makes you social.

It's worth it if you do planned exercises and you do a proper nutrition. And also if you don't overdo it and don't workout like once a week. A lot of people think that jogging is enough as an exercise. It is true that it's the best cardio workout but is isn't enough in my opinion. If you want a full body "transformation" you need to do several different exercises for different parts of your body. You don't need mandatorily to do jogging to improve your health condition. It is true that it's the best cardio training workout (in my opinion). But you can also train cardio at home in your floor. I won't specify any moves but yes you can. That, along with those different body exercises that I mentioned and a correct nutrition probably will do the trick. And unlike what you might think, nutrition is more important than exercise. Without a correct nutrition, you won't see any body improvements. Your physical condition can improve, but you won't see any body changes. But you need to BRING IT ! And don't quit exercising. Obviously xD