Why do people exercise?  The motivating factors that enable people to exercise consistently over long stretches of time are complex and may change throughout a person’s life.  Some people have a sport they truly enjoy, and this provides all the motivation that is necessary.  Some people exercise because of the sense of clarity and well-being that it imparts.  Some people exercise because they are aware of the specific health benefits of exercise.

A significant number of people exercise in order to improve or maintain their body shape and to keep their weight within a desired range.  As a person loses weight due to increased exercise a desirable feedback cycle is established.  When your clothes fit better, you feel good about your appearance, and you are likely to want to continue exercising.

When some people exercise they can hit a plateau in terms of body shape that can actually diminish their overall motivation.  There may be zones of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise.  For a good stretch of time as a person exercises she notices and improvement in her physical appearance, but then something peculiar may happen.  A particular region refuses to give up any more weight.  The natural response is to increase the level of exercise, but the resistant zone doesn’t budge.  Even worse, the person trying to lose the weight in her hips or thighs finds that as she increases her level of exercise, all that happens is that the face begins to look gaunt and hollow.  Also since other zones of the body continue to lose weight and the resistant zones do not, the relative disproportion between the zones may increase.  Under these circumstances it is very easy to get frustrated and to give up on exercise all together.  As a result the patient gains weight and loses her pleasing shape.  When this hits a certain point, she returns to the gym and the cycle repeats itself.

I have talked to a large number of patients about their exercise history, as it is a part of my overall assessment of every patient who comes into my practice.  I truly believe that the negative feedback cycle I have just described is one of the main reasons why people find it difficult to maintain a consistent long term pattern of exercise.

In this perspectiveliposuction can serve as a powerful catalyst to help patients maintain healthy patterns of exercise.  Time and time again I have observed significant long-term changes in behavior that at least in part result from a relatively simple surgical procedure.  When the resistant zone is brought into better balance with the rest of the body, it is much easier for the patient to go to the gym week after week and year after year.  I hope that by serving as a catalyst of sorts I have contributed to my patients’ long-term health and well-being.