Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Burn Calories

I know what you may be thinking. “Isn’t that what exercising is for, to burn calories? How else will I burn off that cookie I just ate?” Hold on a second… exercising to burn off something you ate is similar to dieting on impulse so you can squeeze into your favorite jeans.

Exercising to burn calories and dieting on impulse are both short-term fixes that lead to damaging consequences. A lot sooner than you are willing to admit, you will treat yourself again just to step back on the treadmill or google a quick diet fix that will finally get rid of those couple pounds.

Sound familiar?

The weight that was lost, if not more, will be gained right back and the cycle continues. This is a destructive cycle that so many are in, and it must be broken in order to establish a long-term healthy weight. The good news is that there is a way to break it regardless of your age or exercise and diet history.

The short-term-fix diet and exercise method appears to be a type of punishment. Exercise is not punishment. Healthy eating is not punishment. If you and I have bodies that are able to move freely without restriction and the local resources to eat healthy, then we ought to be grateful for it!

Exercise is so much more than burning calories. Forget about the calories. Really! Try viewing exercise as a way to learn from your body. Listen to the feedback it gives you in order to better understand it. Doing so will not only increase your body awareness and motor control, but build up your self-confidence and physique – ultimately helping you to enjoy fitness.