Are All Exercises Created Equal?

In my recent “Are All Calories Created Equal” post, I discussed how important it was to understand the quality of various calories, their benefits, and how to use them in an intelligent eating regimen. As my piece made clear – no, not all calories are created equal.

Guess what? The same holds true when it comes to various forms of exercise. Each modality, or form, has a specific function and provides unique benefits to the human body. There is a lot of crossover, meaning that some forms have multiple benefits, while others are a bit more one-dimensional.

I’ve never been a believer in the “any exercise is good”, or “at least they’re doing something” philosophies. I’m sorry, but that’s not good enough for me, and judging by our nations obesity and healthcare epidemic, it’s not good enough for all of you out there either. I see too many people failing on their programs not because of a lack of commitment, or diligence, or time. I see them simply fail for one reason – choosing the wrong path to get where they’re looking to go.

Most people truly don’t see exercise for what it is – a question. Yes, a question; you’re essentially asking your body to adapt to a stimulus, and the results you see are your answer. So in short, most people are asking the wrong questions of their body. As an example, many people looking to get in shape and drop body fat turn to running, sometimes in excess. But what is being asked of the body? How does it respond to that question?

The answer to the ‘running question’ is this: the body will shed some muscle tissue and in some cases hold on to body fat, in place of burning it. After all, when you ask your body to become efficient at running many miles, it’ll do whatever it can to make the task easier. It’s similar to how a racecar becomes faster; the builders reduce the load and build the car chassis with lighter materials. In the case of your body, your muscle is dense, heavy, and requires calories to “operate”. Having less muscle will allow your body to run distance easier, use less fuel, and lessen the overload load. Since you can’t store more than about 30 – 40 minutes of muscle glycogen for use, your body may hold on to excess body fat in a primal attempt to keep energy stores full when high demands are placed on it. So you think you’re running to lose weight – when actually the reverse may come true.

Another example would be weightlifting; by asking your body to lift increasingly heavier loads it must answer by growing your muscles larger to lift more. Yoga is a good form of exercise as well – it can help maintain and possibly increase flexibility, provide mental benefits, and overall make the participant more familiar with their own body. This is because Yoga demands that type of response; it’s how the body answers when regular classes are taken.

As I mentioned earlier, there is crossover between many exercises; distance running may build some muscle in the legs while also functioning as an aerobic activity, yoga may provide flexibility and improve strength and stability, weightlifting can improve muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness, and possibly flexibility.

You need to know if you’re asking the right questions. If you’ve routinely asked the SAME question, by only using ONE mode of exercise, chances are you haven’t seen the results you’re looking for. You need to be asking many questions of your body, to get as many answers as possible, so that all of the crossover benefits overlap one another and provide you with a complete, sound, intelligent exercise program.

As I’ve said before, every form of exercise can have a place within your program, just as various nutrients need to be customized to meet your your goals. Running, weight training, boxing, yoga and classes – they could all be part of the mix. But which exercises you choose and how often you perform them is crucial to your success – and the answers you’re looking for.

So before your next workout, or class, ask yourself: What am I asking of my body? I think the answer may surprise you….