The hidden benefits of weight loss

Weight loss is not just about looking and feeling good. There are many hidden reasons why being a healthy weight benefits you.

Consider these five hidden benefits:

1. Your organs are happier

When we carry excess weight our organs are under more pressure. Physically, our organs become more crowded when surrounded by excess weight – when we lose the excess our organs become more streamlined and function better.

2. Less pressure on your back

We know back pain impacts approximately 80% of the population at some stage. Being a healthy weight puts less strain on your back, and your body in general. If you’re unsure how much difference this can make, try the old “bags of oranges” trick. If you walk around with just two one kilo bags of oranges I guarantee everything will be more difficult – now imagine that is 10 or 20 excess kilos, and you will understand how excess weight increases the load on your body.

3. Fewer headaches

Research shows that being a healthy weight reduces headaches – a study involving researchers from institutions including Harvard and the University of Queensland, published in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology, found that obesity leads to a 21% greater risk of migraine.

4. Better posture

When your body is in proper alignment everything works better – your joints, muscles and ligaments all function properly and it’s easier to achieve good posture. At Elite Akademy we see a link between being overweight and poor posture. When you are overweight it becomes harder for your body to be in alignment. It literally takes more effort. Poor posture contributes to headaches and often results in back and neck pain.

5. Better brain function

We know being a healthy weight brings potential mental health benefits – people tend to feel better both physically and mentally. But shedding those excess kilos may also improve brain function, according to a recent study. The University of Arizona found excess weight can negatively impact brain function in older people. Inflammation from being overweight was found to reduce cognitive function – including “executive functioning” and memory.

While each person is different, we find that one of the hardest thing that all people face when trying to exercise more and become healthier is getting started – once you clear that first hurdle it’s possible to establish healthy habits quickly.

Exercise doesn’t need to be extreme. You don’t need to run a marathon. If exercise is new for you there is nothing wrong with building up your tolerance over time.

The first step is to find your baseline, which is how much exercise you can currently tolerate. Then you need to find something you enjoy, whether it’s the gym, walking, swimming, running, tennis, golf – anything! Gradually, your baseline will increase as you exercise more and become healthier.

Have you experienced benefits from losing weight?