This Just In: Exercise Won’t Help You Lose Weight

In a new video from Vox, experts weigh in on why and how exercise doesn’t necessarily help you lose weight. However, that doesn’t mean exercise isn’t important and good for your body. As Vox says, it will help you live a long and healthy life. The thing is, it’s just not that effective as a “weight-loss tool,” according to Dr. Kevin Hall at the National Institutes of Health.

The biggest factor they found was that when people start fitting exercise into their routines, they tend to compensate by eating more because they are hungrier after a run. They are also less likely to keep up with other activities, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, because they’re tired.

More interestingly, when you slim down, your body’s natural metabolism will slow down as well, meaning you burn less calories.

Researchers studied a group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania and found that the reason they were so slim was not because they were burning more calories, but that they didn’t over-eat. So, if you spend hours at the gym each day, it can all be erased by a slice of pizza, Dr. Hall says.

Watch the video below and learn about some of the common pitfalls someone may experience when they start exercising.