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| Monday, January 26, 2009 |
| Don’t Stop Exercising Just Yet! |
A recent study published in Obesity suggests that exercise is not as important as diet when it comes to weight loss, but don’t stop exercising just yet! The findings may be misleading. Although I strongly agree that it is nearly impossible to achieve significant weight loss without changing your diet, I’m a strong proponent of exercise to achieve and maintain weight loss.
Exercise, in combination with a reduced calorie diet, will help you lose weight. In a study done by the Cooper Institute for Aerobic Research, it was found that the addition of exercise produces more weight loss than dieting alone. It also explains that exercise has a favorable effect on body composition and body fat distribution. It produces a reduction in waist to hip ratio which has been associated with heart disease. Exercise has also been shown to increase your lean body mass where diet alone decreases your lean body mass. The more lean body mass or muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. By dieting alone, you can become a “skinny, fat person” meaning you appear thin but have very little lean body mass.
Once you’ve achieved your desired weight, exercise is very important in maintaining that weight. As stated above, exercise creates metabolically active muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn on a daily basis. Resistance training such as lifting weights or doing pushups, pull ups, etc. will help build muscle. On the other hand, aerobic exercise will burn calories. 30 minutes per day of aerobic exercise is recommended, however more has been found to aid in weight maintenance. Some organizations recommend 60 minutes per day. According to John Foreyt, PhD, director of the Nutrition Research Clinic at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine, “Exercise not only increases caloric expenditure, it increases feelings of well-being and perceived energy level.” Studies also suggest exercise can be effective in regulating appetite. Since regular exercise can help regulate appetite, it is imperative for weight maintenance
Regular exercise has many other benefits. A recent study found that a single bout of exercise helps obese people boost their body’s fat burning rate and improve metabolic health. This can help people reduce their insulin resistance and their likelihood of developing diabetes. Exercise has also been found to reduce the risk of several chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and osteoporosis. In addition, it has been found to help prevent and treat back pain and arthritis. Exercise has also been used to improve mood in people with depression and anxiety.
Exercise has so many benefits that you can’t afford not to do it. Even if a study or two finds that exercise is not the main ingredient in weight loss, remember it is the main ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. A study published in JAMA showed that it is never too late to start exercising. In the study, sedentary women over 65 years of age started walking a mile a day and cut their rates of death from all causes by 50%. That is truly amazing. Next time you are tempted to skip exercise, think of all the benefits and get out their and just do it. You’ll be on your way to a longer, healthier life and in the long run, it will help you achieve and maintain your desired weight.
- Jennifer
Related Articles:
Sensei Talks: Exercise has no impact on weight loss!?
Sensei Talks: Lean Mean Fat Burning Machine
Labels: Exercise, Jennifer, Recent Research
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posted by My Sensei @ Monday, January 26, 2009   |
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I fully agree with this point. A lot of my patients think that burning themselves up in a gym is the only way to lose weight. What they do not understand is that it takes much more than that. Keep up the great work here and please visit my health blog: http://healthy-nutrition-facts.blogspot.com/
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I fully agree with this point. A lot of my patients think that burning themselves up in a gym is the only way to lose weight. What they do not understand is that it takes much more than that. Keep up the great work here and please visit my health blog: http://healthy-nutrition-facts.blogspot.com/