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New Study Says Exercise More; Here’s How
by
Liz Colville
A new study suggests that moderate exercise is not sufficient for those trying to lose weight. Experts say exercise must become an integral part of your life in order to work.
30-Second Summary
The findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine July 28, strongly encourage those who are overweight or obese to allot 60 minutes most days of the week to aerobic exercise.
The Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh studied 200 women between the ages of 21 and 45 for two years, giving them free treadmills and asking them to restrict their diet to 1,200–1,500 calories a day.
The women who lost at least 10 percent of their body weight “were exercising twice as long as health authorities typically recommend and expending more than twice as many calories through exercise as women who had no change in body weight,” Time magazine writes.
Maintenance was the strongest challenge for most of the women, many of whom temporarily relapsed about six months into the program. This pattern is typical, and most of the women bounced back, completing the two-year program with a net loss.
These more stringent guidelines are not entirely new. In 2007, members of the American College of Sports Medicine revised its standard exercise guidelines from 1995, which centered on 30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week. The new recommendations include weight training and jogging for those looking to maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic conditions.
The emphasis is on consistency over rigor: make exercise a permanent part of your life, vary your routine, and share your goals with others, either through a program, Web site, or simply between friends and family members.
The Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh studied 200 women between the ages of 21 and 45 for two years, giving them free treadmills and asking them to restrict their diet to 1,200–1,500 calories a day.
The women who lost at least 10 percent of their body weight “were exercising twice as long as health authorities typically recommend and expending more than twice as many calories through exercise as women who had no change in body weight,” Time magazine writes.
Maintenance was the strongest challenge for most of the women, many of whom temporarily relapsed about six months into the program. This pattern is typical, and most of the women bounced back, completing the two-year program with a net loss.
These more stringent guidelines are not entirely new. In 2007, members of the American College of Sports Medicine revised its standard exercise guidelines from 1995, which centered on 30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week. The new recommendations include weight training and jogging for those looking to maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic conditions.
The emphasis is on consistency over rigor: make exercise a permanent part of your life, vary your routine, and share your goals with others, either through a program, Web site, or simply between friends and family members.
Headline Link: ‘The Myth of Moderate Exercise’
The study is not entirely conclusive on the subject of obesity, especially in light of the “set point” theory: “The further you push your weight beyond your set point—either up or down the scale—some researchers say, the more your body struggles to return to it.” Nevertheless, John Jakicic, who led the study, is “heartened” by the results; even the 10 percent weight reduction achieved by the most successful women in the study can have numerous positive health repercussions.
Source: Time
Background: Ramping up exercise recommendations
In 1995, the American Heart Association’s guidelines on exercise were considerably more relaxed than they are today. Household chores, gardening, calisthenics, walking, and climbing stairs were part of the recommended exercise routine considered sufficient by experts to maintain health and lose weight. The recommendations were published in the journal Circulation in 1996.
Source: Circulation
Members of the American College of Sports Medicine published findings in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, in 2007 that revised common suggestions about exercise. Reported in the Guardian, authors recommended jogging and weight training; suggested alternating days of moderate exercise with rigorous exercise; and stressed that exercise should be done in addition to cleaning, walking, and other activities previously included under the exercise umbrella.
Source: The Guardian
The American College of Sports Medicine Web site stresses in its updated guidelines that “to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.” The site publishes tips for healthy adults under age 65; adults with chronic conditions aged 50–64; and adults over 65.
Source: The American College of Sports Medicine
Opinion & Analysis: How to stick with an exercise routine
Bill Germanakos, who won season four of “The Biggest Loser,” losing nearly half his body weight during the show, advises people to make resolutions like weight loss an “integral part of your life. If your resolution is to lose weight or get fit, make going to the gym each day as important as going to your job. Pursuing your goals cannot be something you do only when the rest of your life allows.” Bill and his brother include more advice as part of findingDulcinea’s Recommit to Your Resolutions Web Guide.
Source: findingDulcinea
For many healthy adults, exercise has been a consistent part of their lives, and within that structure is variety. Actress Estelle Parsons, 80, has a physically demanding starring role in a Broadway play, and credits her motivation to an exercise routine that, in a given week, can include weight raining, biking, yoga, hiking, and swimming. Early in her career, Parsons used exercise as an effective means of escaping from the limelight.
Source: The New York Times
Sharing goals with others may be the key to sticking to a weight loss routine. A 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that “intervention,” defined as sessions of Internet-based and face-to-face counseling, was much more effective than newsletters in helping obese participants learn to “self-regulate,” in turn losing weight and keeping it off.
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine
Reference: The exercise study; ACSM recommendations; fitness guide
Examining the effect of dieting on obesity, the University of Pittsburgh study concluded that “a significant increase in energy expenditure is necessary” for “sustained significant weight loss.” The introduction to the study notes that “caloric intake has not increased during the last 100 years. Rather, there has been a sharp drop in caloric expenditure secondary to changes at the workplace and in the home.”
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine
The 2007 recommendations from the the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association, published in the journal Circulation, advocate exceeding the standard exercise guidelines currently in place. “Many adults, including those who wish to improve their personal fitness or further reduce their risk for premature chronic health conditions and mortality related to physical inactivity, should exceed the minimum recommended amounts of physical activity."
Source: Circulation (PDF)
FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Fitness annotates dozens of credible Web resources on learning about exercise; starting a training regimen; getting informed about injury prevention and exercising with age; and connecting with other fitness enthusiasts through Web sites.
Source: findingDulcinea
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