Can somatic exercises for weight loss actually help men get lean?
Dr. Jonathan Pierce, PhD: Clinical Psychologist & Neuroscience Specialist
Dec 27, 2025 · 9 min read
Somatic exercises don’t meaningfully drive fat loss through calorie burn, but they can help men get leaner by shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic “fight-or-flight” to parasympathetic “rest-and-digest,” lowering chronic HPA-axis stress and cortisol — a hormone linked to visceral abdominal fat accumulation in men. If you’re training hard and dieting but your midsection ...