Fat Loss is so 2016
In 2014 when I started PT 95% of people came to me for fat loss.
Over ten years later that’s not the case.
More clients than ever are coming to me about pursuing goals unrelated to losing weight. Mental health & wellbeing, sports performance, delaying the ageing process, are among some of the reasons many of my newer clients have come to see me and I love it.
While they are self-aware enough to admit that they might like the aesthetic benefits of adding a bit of muscle that hasn’t been the main focus. It’s refreshing and a lot more fun as a coach.
Fat loss can be really hard for a lot of people and a tricky topic to navigate as a PT! Often tied up a lot in how we feel about ourselves on a far deeper level than ‘I just want to look good’ it can require being quite introspective and making changes to our lifestyle that can feel pretty monumental.
It’s also something that can take a lot of time and, if we place too much value in it, distracts from all the other incredible things that exercise does for us.
Exercise has an awful lot going for it beyond fat loss, it is “the only known stimulus that can simultaneously prevent or ameliorate heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and cachexia, while improving learning and memory”* a pretty impressive CV!
In addition to all of the above it trains our mental muscles too. The act of challenging yourself to exercise, especially aerobic type exercise, literally changes how your brain works and helps you build resilience to difficult tasks in other areas of life.
Exercise improves our mood by boosting neurotransmitters such as dopamine & serotonin, over the long term regular exercise reduces our stress hormones, learning new skills (like new exercises) develops and maintains neuroplasticity in our brains, it helps sleep better which in turn usually boosts mood and can do wonders for our self esteem. Physically being stronger makes us feel empowered.
All of the benefits aren’t just important now. I work with clients who are in their 70s and beyond. Those who have exercised regularly have a better quality of life - even when dealing with things like Parkinson's. The resilience and strength they’ve built throughout their lives stand them in better stead to cope with some of the difficulties the ageing process brings with it.
If we could pop the benefits of exercise it in a pill it would cure us of many ills but we can’t and so doing it is the next best thing.
We exist in these bodies for our whole lives, with them we can do wonderful things. It is worth doing whatever you can to look after yours and exercise should be top of the list.
