Naturally, one of the first things to do when you decide it’s time to lose weight is exercise.
We immediately sign up for that gym membership and commit to extra walks with our dogs, believing that if we exercise enough our numbers will drop on the scale.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of us get discouraged when we follow this routine for months and still see no change on the scale.
This is why I am often asked: Will exercise help me lose weight or is it just a diet?
As with all things weight loss related, the short answer is: it’s complicated.
What do studies say about exercise and weight?
there was a lot the study over- last 70 years Examine the role exercise plays in weight management.recently research In this topic, we mainly found that exercise alone had minimal impact on weight loss.
This includes A meta-study exploring all relevant studies in this fieldfound that those who exercised only had minimal weight loss and reduced energy intake compared to those who exercised.
2018 study We found that significant weight loss was unlikely when participants followed minimal management guidelines for physical activity.
This prescribes 150 minutes 75 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity each week.
To achieve significant weight loss without dieting, overall activity had to be well above the minimum recommended levels.
Studies show that you need about 60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per day to reach your goals. significant weight loss.
But before canceling that gym membership, you should consider substantial research confirming that focusing on exercise as part of a weight loss program is essential.
Exercise helps maintain weight in the long run
exercise improve your body composition and prevent muscle wasting. Our metabolic rate (how much energy we burn at rest) is determined by the amount of muscle and fat we have. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat and burns more kilojoules.
If you rely solely on diet to lose weight, you will lose muscle along with body fat, slowing your metabolism. Therefore, it is imperative to incorporate sufficient and appropriate exercise into your weight loss plan in order to maintain muscle mass.
It is also important to incorporate resistance training for strength building. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym every day. It is enough for him to spend only two days a week in the comfort of his own home.
research Moderate-volume resistance training (8 exercises, 3 sets of 10 reps) was just as effective as high-volume resistance training (8 exercises, 5 sets of 10 reps), so we incorporated it. You can maintain lean body mass and muscle if you follow a diet. Moderate calorie restriction.
Studies also show that physical activity and exercise have a substantial effect in preventing weight regain after weight loss.
a Long-term study abroad Participants who maintained a high level of exercise (e.g., burned more than 10,500 kilojoules or 2,500 calories per week, such as walking for 75 minutes per day) lost significantly more weight than those who exercised less. It was found to maintain
Exercise has overall health benefits
Before you even start seeing your exercise results on the scale, you’re almost guaranteed to experience the many physical and mental health benefits that come with exercise.
even at low levels of exercise reduce your potential onset of disease such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
research Even without losing weight, most diabetes and heart disease risk markers associated with obesity can be improved by exercise, indicating that exercise is just as important as weight loss to improve health.
Obese and physically active people can be considered metabolically healthy If they maintain good blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin levels. Good evidence Showing the risk of premature death associated with obesity significantly reduced or eliminated By a moderate to high level of fitness.
Regular exercise not only improves health, physical benefit, increased strength and mobility, etc. It also reduces stress levels, and even with less exercise, depressive symptomsimprove mood Promotes better sleep.
This can help you better manage your diet, boost your mood, make healthier food choices, and avoid making impulsive food choices.
Conclusion?
Exercise can help you lose weight and prevent it from gaining again. However, it alone will not help you reach your weight loss goals.
Exercise is one of the key pillars of long-term weight management. Like your diet and sleep choices, they play an important role in weight loss and maintenance.
Start doing something you love to encourage more exercise. Doing the same routine all the time is a surefire way to get bored and give up, so try to include variety.
Nick FullerCharles Perkins Center Research Program Leader, University of Sydney
This article is reprinted from conversation Under Creative Commons License.read Original work.
