Physical activity, obesity medications and motivation: we need to change the way we think about movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why physical activity isn\u2019t just about burning calories and how to get back on track when you\u2019re tired, in pain, or not very sporty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the phrases I hear often in consultations is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00ab I will start exercising when I lose some weight. That will be easier. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s perfectly understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you live with a heavier body, fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, or simply years of inactivity, then the idea of starting to exercise may seem daunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a long time, we have often thought in this way: let\u2019s start by helping with weight loss. When the person is lighter, they will be able to move more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, our approach to physical activity in the treatment of obesity is evolving.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With modern treatments for obesity, such as GLP-1 medications, gastric balloons, or dietary replacements, weight loss can be significant and relatively rapid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we lose weight, we don\u2019t just lose fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body can also lose muscle. And we want to protect that muscle. from the very beginning of the weight loss.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We have long been presented with a very simple equation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I eat \u2192 I accumulate calories. This view is too simplistic and it is sometimes guilt-inducing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, physical activity increases energy expenditure. But in a normal life, the amount of exercise that most people can reasonably achieve usually produces a fairly modest weight loss when used alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because physical activity doesn\u2019t need to bring the scale down to be effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It improves cardiovascular health, mobility, insulin sensitivity, metabolic health, strength, and quality of life. It also contributes to bone health and the prevention of many chronic diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you\u2019re trying to lose weight, physical activity has another fundamental function:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ten kilos less on the scale does not necessarily mean ten kilos less fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of the weight lost may correspond to lean mass, including muscle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This does not mean that new drugs \u00abmelt the muscles\u00bb. A decrease in lean mass often accompanies significant weight loss, regardless of the method used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the more effective the treatments become and the faster the weight loss can be, the more we must ask ourselves at least two questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abHow much have you lost?\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00ab How does your body change during this weight loss?\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you retain your strength? Your mobility? Your ability to climb stairs, get up from a chair, carry your bags, and walk for long periods of time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the goals in obesity medicine is to promote fat loss while protecting as much as possible. muscles, strength and physical function.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And for that, walking is excellent\u2026 and you need to gradually work the muscles against resistance as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body is extraordinarily adaptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a muscle is regularly subjected to stress, we send it a kind of message:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abThis muscle serves me. I need it.\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the principle of muscle strengthening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it doesn't necessarily require dumbbells, machines, or a gym membership. Yet the weight of your own body already constitutes resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To maintain this muscle, it is also necessary to provide it with enough protein. During a significant weight loss, Muscle activity and adequate protein intake therefore work together to help preserve lean mass.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is particularly important as we age, when preserving our muscle capital becomes progressively more valuable. Nevertheless, we can build muscle at any age and it is better to protect the muscle we have than to wait until we lose it before we start to worry about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Physical activity is essential for health, but its effect on weight when used alone remains generally modest. European recommendations report an average weight loss of about 2 to 3 kg with aerobic exercise alone<\/strong>, While emphasizing its numerous cardiovascular, metabolic and functional benefits. Muscle strengthening is particularly recommended to preserve lean mass during weight loss.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With modern treatments for obesity, this question takes on even greater importance. A meta-analysis published in 2026 reports that lean mass accounted for approximately 25 to 39 % of the lost weight<\/strong> in studies using incretin-based treatments. This does not mean that these drugs \u00abmelt the muscles\u00bb: a loss of lean mass also accompanies the weight loss achieved through other methods. However, interventions combining lifestyle changes and Resistance training<\/strong> They had a lower proportion of lean mass loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The practical message is therefore simple: during a significant weight loss, protecting your muscles is part of the treatment<\/strong>. Progressive muscle strengthening, an adapted diet with sufficient protein intake and the maintenance of physical activity all contribute together to preserve lean mass, strength and physical function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So don't start by saying \u00abexercise\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start by moving around.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a psychological difference between saying to oneself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abStarting Monday, I have to do 150 minutes of exercise a week.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abTomorrow morning, before my shower, I'm going to move for five minutes.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n No need for sports attire. You can even stay in pajamas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attention, before you start:<\/strong> if you suffer from a significant cardiovascular, respiratory or musculoskeletal disease, if you have problems with balance, unusual pain, marked shortness of breath or any other health problem that may limit your effort, or if you have not moved for a long time, talk to your doctor or healthcare professional before starting or intensifying physical activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Get up and sit down from a chair, 5 to 10 times<\/strong> 2. Perform push-ups against a wall, 5 to 10 times<\/strong> 3. Walk around the place for 30 seconds to 1 minute<\/strong> 4. Stand on the tips of your feet, 10 times<\/strong> 5. Waking up the deep muscles of the abdomen, 5 slow breaths<\/strong> The transverse plane is involved in controlling the trunk and posture. Thus, exercises inspired by Pilates are indeed an excellent way to gradually work on breathing, trunk control, mobility, and deep muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 exercises and that\u2019s it for today<\/p>\n\n\n\n It may have taken you five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And five minutes count.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When these five minutes become easy, don't necessarily try to go much faster: gradually add a few repetitions, a second round of the series, or a little resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is this progression that allows the muscle to continue adapting.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We often expect to feel motivated to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But motivation doesn't always work that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can also be built:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Small action \u2192 success \u2192 satisfaction \u2192 sense of competence \u2192 motivation \u2192 new action.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why the first objective sometimes has to be almost ridiculously easy \u2014 and, if possible, pleasant.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Five minutes today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then five minutes tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then ten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The walk gets longer. The chair raises become easier. A few repetitions are added. Then an elastic band. Maybe a Pilates class. Maybe aquagym, cycling, dancing, walking, or finally a gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We progress based on where we are, not where we think we should already be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When someone tells me: \u00abI lack motivation\u00bb, my next question is often:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What makes the movement difficult for you today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is not always motivation. However, it can be pain, fatigue, fear of injury, shame about one\u2019s body, a bad experience with sports, lack of time, the belief that physical activity is only useful if it is intense, or simply the difficulty in turning an intention into regular behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhysical activity is not primarily about \u00abburning off\u00bb the kilos.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I exercise \u2192 I burn calories.
So I have to exercise more to lose weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\nprotect our muscles.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When the balance tilts, what are we really losing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The muscle needs to know that you still need it.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What science tells us<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u00abOkay\u2026 but I\u2019m tired and I have no motivation\u00bb<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
No need for gym.
No equipment required.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnd if you took the pajama challenge: 5 exercises, 5 minutes to start over, what would change in your day?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>You work the thighs and buttocks, essential muscles for getting up, climbing stairs, and maintaining your independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>More accessible than floor pumps, they work the arms, shoulders, chest and trunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Alternate lifting your feet or knees as you are able. If necessary, hold onto a chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Go up slowly, then come down slowly. A simple exercise for your calves, ankles and balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Lying on your back, knees bent, or standing, place one hand on the lower abdomen. Inhale calmly, then exhale slowly by gently contracting the lower abdomen, as if you were to slightly bring your navel closer to your spine. Continue breathing normally, without blocking your breath or forcing it. Release, then begin again.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnd after the first five minutes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Motivation sometimes comes after the action.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Finding what prevents you from moving<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n