Mountain View News June 6, 2026 
1010 
Mountain View News June 6, 2026 
1010 
Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 
professional who offers semi-private/virtual fit-
ness classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit. 
com. Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness. 


For decades, the fitness 
industry had one primary 
sales pitch: lose weight. 

Health clubs promised 
weight loss. Exercise 
programs promised 
weight loss. Television 
commercials, magazine 

articles, and social media 
influencers all focused on 
weight loss. Many people 
measured the success of 
their workouts by one 
thing—the number they 
saw on the scale. 

Today, that conversation 


is changing. New weight-
loss medications are 
helping people lose 30, 50, 
80, or even 100 pounds. 
Whether you support 

these medications or not, it is hard to ignore the results many 
people are experiencing. For the first time, significant weight 
loss is becoming possible for those who have struggled with 
obesity for years. 

As a fitness professional, I am generally cautious about these 
medications. In my opinion, they are most appropriate when 
someone is dealing with morbid obesity or when the health 
risks of remaining overweight outweigh the potential risks 
of the medication. Those decisions should always be made 
between a patient and their physician. 

However, the growing popularity of these drugs raises an 
interesting question. If medications are becoming one of the 
most effective weight-loss tools available, what is fitness for? 

WHAT IS FITNESS FOR? 

That may seem like a strange question but for years many 
people viewed exercise primarily as a way to burn calories. 
If the weight-loss piece can now be addressed through 
medication, it forces us to think more carefully about why 
physical fitness matters at all. 

The answer may surprise some people. Fitness was never 
really about weight loss. Weight loss was simply one possible 
benefit of being active. The true purpose of fitness is to help 
us do the things we want and need to do throughout life. 

Fitness helps us climb stairs without becoming exhausted. 
It helps us lift groceries, carry luggage, play with kids, and 
recover our balance when we stumble. It helps us remain 
independent as we age. None of those things can be measured 
by a bathroom scale. 

In fact, some of the most important benefits of exercise have 
very little to do with body weight. Regular physical activityhelps maintain muscle mass, strengthen bones, improve 
balance, support heart health, improve mobility, and enhance 
mental well-being. Most of all it can help people maintain 
their independence longer. 

A medication may help someone lose weight. It cannot 
strengthen their legs enough to get out of a low car seat. 
It cannot help someone recover from a stumble before it 
becomes a fall. It cannot help someone lift a heavy bag of dogfood or move a piece of furniture. Those benefits still come 
from physical activity. 

For years, many people viewed exercise as punishment for 
what they ate. They walked on a treadmill because they wanted 
to lose weight. They joined a gym because they wanted to fit 
into a smaller clothing size. When the scale failed to move, 
they often became discouraged and quit. 

But what if we stopped measuring exercise primarily by its 

effect on body weight? What if we judged exercise by how it 
improved our daily lives? At any age? 

Think about walking through an airport without becomingexhausted. Imagine hiking with friends, playing recreational 
sports, keeping up with your children, tackling a home 
improvement project, or spending a full day exploring a new 
city. What about having the energy and physical ability to 
participate in the activities you enjoy instead of sitting on the 
sidelines? Those are powerful reasons to stay active regardless 
of what the scale says. 

In some ways, weight-loss medications may be exposing 
something fitness professionals have known all along. 
Exercise is not simply a weight-loss tool. It is a quality-of-life 
tool. The older I get and the older my clients get, the more 
obvious this becomes. 

Few people tell me they wish they had spent more time trying 
to fit into a smaller pair of jeans. What they want is the ability 
to travel, enjoy hobbies, live independently, and participate 
fully in life. 

They want strength. They want confidence. They want 
freedom of movement. They want to remain capable. That is 
what fitness provides. 

Whether weight loss comes from healthy eating, increased 
activity, medication, surgery, or a combination of approaches, 
the goal should not simply be a smaller body. The goal should 
be a healthier, more capable body. 

The rise of weight-loss medications may be changing the 
way we think about obesity. It may also be changing the way 
we think about exercise. And maybe that is not a bad thing, 
Fitness was never really about losing weight. It was about 
extending not just your lifespan, but your ability to enjoy 
each year you have. 

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