We all know that releasing excess fat can make our bodies feel more comfortable, but there’s much more to the story of how exercise affects our overall health. Beyond the physical changes, exercise improves satiety, influences hunger hormones, and impacts the intricate communication between our organs and systems—a concept known as “crosstalk.” When we understand how these processes work, we can unlock the power of exercise to help us combat hormone dysfunction, poor gene expression, and metabolic dysfunction—issues that are not set in stone and can be improved with physical fitness.
Exercise and Satiety: The Hidden Link to Hunger Control
Exercise doesn’t just burn calories; it also improves the body’s hunger hormones, helping to regulate appetite. This means that after physical activity, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and less prone to overeating. This effect is especially important for those trying to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Exercise helps balance hormones like ghrelin, which signals hunger, and leptin, which tells you when you’re full.
Regular exercise can help you feel more in control of your hunger, making it easier to avoid those snack cravings that can derail your progress.
The Energy Flux Theory: Why Moving More Reduces Weight Gain Risk
The Energy Flux Theory suggests that the more energy (or calories) your body processes, the less likely you are to gain weight. This means that increasing your physical activity doesn’t just help burn calories in the moment—it actually makes your body more efficient at managing energy over time. This reduces the risk of storing excess calories as fat, helping to prevent weight gain and supporting long-term weight maintenance.
Increasing your daily activity levels, even through small changes like walking more or doing exercise snacks, can help your body become a more efficient calorie-burner, making weight management easier.
Crosstalk: The Conversation Between Organs and Systems
Exercise promotes “crosstalk” between your body’s organs and systems, improving overall function. Hormonal dysfunction, poor gene expression, and metabolic dysfunction—three factors that contribute to weight gain and poor health—are not static states. Exercise has the potential to reverse these issues by improving communication between your muscles, liver, brain, and other organs.
When you exercise, your entire body benefits, not just your muscles. By improving this internal communication, exercise helps balance your hormones, activate beneficial genes, and correct metabolic dysfunction, setting the stage for better health and easier weight management.
Fitness Isn’t Casual: The Need for Intentional Physical Activity
It’s important to note that casual movement, like a slow walk, while beneficial, doesn’t count as true fitness. To improve hormone balance and metabolic function, you need to engage in intentional, consistent physical activity that gets your heart rate up. Despite these benefits, only one-fifth of the population meets the recommended activity guidelines, and even fewer people do strength training, which is essential for maintaining muscle mass and boosting metabolism.
If you want to see real health improvements, aim to incorporate more structured exercise into your routine. This could include anything from strength training to higher-intensity cardio activities that challenge your body in new ways.
Overcoming Barriers to Exercise: Physical Therapy and Exercise Snacks
If you’re dealing with physical limitations or chronic pain, it’s good to know that in most states, you can see a physical therapist without a referral. Medicare also offers excellent coverage for physical therapy, and many plans even allow therapists to use an obesity code to provide extended support for people with a BMI of 30 or higher.
For those who struggle to find time for long workouts, try “exercise snacks”—short bursts of activity throughout the day. Even small amounts of movement can accumulate to improve your fitness and overall health, especially if you’re consistent.
Whether you need physical therapy to get started or prefer shorter workouts throughout the day, there are accessible options to help you move more, stay active, and improve your fitness.
Exercise is a powerful tool for weight loss, hormonal health, and overall metabolic function. It’s about more than just burning calories. It can help regulate hunger, promote better communication between your body’s systems, and reverse issues like hormone dysfunction and poor gene expression. The key is to move intentionally, challenge your body, and find a routine that works for you—whether that’s structured exercise, physical therapy, or fitting in small bursts of activity throughout your day. Your body is capable of more than you think, and with regular movement, you can unlock its full potential for health and vitality.
Ready to take the next step in your fitness journey? Apply now for my Conquer Your Cravings: 3-Month Immersion Program, where you’ll be paired with a personal trainer for weekly workouts to help you build lasting health habits. This program offers the support you need to release excess fat, improve your energy, and reach your goals with confidence!
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