It’s no surprise that exercise is one of the first things we turn to when we decide it’s time to lose weight.
We willingly sign up for this gym membership and commit to extra dog walks because we believe that if we exercise enough, the number on the scale will go down.
Perhaps not surprisingly, many of us get discouraged when we follow this routine for months and see no change on the scale.
That’s why I’m often asked: Does exercise help you lose weight or is it just a diet?
As with all things weight loss, the short answer is: it’s complicated.
What does the research say about exercise and weight?
There were many studies above that past 70 years Exploring the role exercise plays in weight control. youngest Research on the subject has overwhelmingly found that exercise alone has minimal impact on weight loss.
This includes a Meta-study examining all relevant studies in this areawho found that those who exercised only lost minimal weight and also reduced their energy intake compared to those who exercised.
A 2018 learn found that significant weight loss was unlikely when participants followed minimum physical activity guidelines.
This dictates 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week.
Total volume of exercise had to be well above recommended minimums to achieve significant weight loss without dieting.
Studies show that you need to do about 60 minutes of moderate activity per day to achieve this significant weight loss.
But before you cancel that gym membership, we also need to consider the extensive research that confirms that it’s important to focus on exercise as part of any weight loss program.
Exercise helps keep the weight off over the long term
A practice will improve your body composition and prevent muscle wasting. Our metabolic rate — how much energy we burn at rest — is determined by how much muscle and fat we have, and muscle is more metabolically active than fat, meaning it burns more kilojoules.
When you rely solely on diet to lose weight, muscle mass is broken down along with body fat, slowing your metabolism. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you incorporate sufficient and appropriate exercise into your weight loss plan to maintain your muscle mass reserves.
It’s also important to incorporate strength-building resistance training. That doesn’t mean you have to be in the gym every day. Just two days a week and in the comfort of your own home is perfectly fine.
Research confirms that moderate-volume resistance training (three sets of ten reps for eight exercises) is just as effective as high-volume resistance training (five sets of ten reps for eight exercises) for maintaining lean mass and muscle mass when dieting moderate calorie restriction.
Studies also show that physical activity and exercise have a significant impact on preventing weight gain after weight loss.
A long-term study found that those who maintained a high level of exercise (expending more than 10,500 kilojoules or 2,500 calories per week, for example by walking 75 minutes per day) maintained significantly greater weight loss than participants who exercised less.
Exercise has general health benefits
Before you start seeing the results of exercising on the scale, you are almost guaranteed to experience the many physical and mental health benefits that come with exercising.
Even at low loads to reduce your chance at develop diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that exercise is just as important for improving health as weight loss, since most risk markers for diabetes and heart disease associated with obesity can be improved with exercise, even if you’re not losing weight.
A physically active person with obesity may be considered metabolism healthy if they maintain good blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin levels. There is good Proof to show the risk of early death associated with obesity largely reduced or eliminated through medium to high fitness.
Regular exercise has other benefits besides improving your health physical benefits, such as improving strength and mobility. It also reduces stress levels, and even a small amount of exercise leads to a reduction in stress levels depressive symptomsimprove Mood and promote better sleep.
This in turn will help you better manage your diet, with the mood boost helping you make healthier food choices and avoid impulsive food choices.
The bottom line?
Exercise will help you lose weight and keep you from gaining it again – it just won’t help you achieve your weight loss goals in isolation.
Exercise is one of the most important pillars of long-term weight management. It plays an essential role in weight loss and maintenance, as do our eating and sleeping habits.
To encourage more exercise, pick up something you enjoy. Make sure to vary, because sticking to the same daily routine is a surefire way to get bored and give up.
Nick FullerHead of Research Program at the Charles Perkins Center, University of Sydney
This article is republished by The conversation under a Creative Commons license. read this original article.
