Monday, October 4, 2010
Do we need more studies to tell us that exercise is good? Yes, I think. Especially for those who want to lose weight (women, especially, and men, increasingly).
Weight management, is always a hot topic. I remember one of my previous post mentioned about which type of diet is good for losing weight, and having additional health benefits. Now, there's another study about weight loss, and it's EXERCISING!
201 overweight and obese women (body mass index: 27 to 40; age range: 21-45 years) with no contraindications to weight loss or physical activity were recruited in this study. At the start, all of the participants were sedentary.
Participants were divided into 4 groups with different behavioral weight loss intervention. They were randomly assigned to groups based on physical activity energy expenditure (1000 vs 2000 kcal/week) and intensity (moderate vs vigorous).
Participants also were told to reduce intake to 1200 to 1500 kcal per day.
Then, surveys of in-person conversations and telephone calls were conducted during the 2 years study period to collect the results.
At the end of the two-year study, women who had lost 10% or more of their initial body weight reported that they had done more physical activity compared with those who did not lose as much weight.
During the first 6 months, women in all four groups had lost an average of 8% to 10% of their initial body weight. But the hard part was keeping that weight off. Most of them regained the weight.
Nearly 25% of the participants managed to maintain 10% or more of the weight loss over the 2 years.
Those women exercised about 275 minutes a week more over their baseline activity levels.
So, what's the conclusion of the study?
The addition of 275 mins/week of physical activity, in combination with a reduction in energy intake, is important in allowing overweight women to sustain a weight loss of more than 10%.
You might need to change the statement now
So, next time, when you want to counsel people (those diabetic, or having cardiovascular diseases and need to lose weight) about lifestyle modification, the previous advice to them, "Exercise 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week", might be outdated.
As 55 minutes per day might sound odd, the duration can be changed to 1 hour per day (well, extra 5 minutes do more good than harm, right?).
Plus, it doesn't matter what type of exercising you are doing, as long as it can burn your calories!
Although this study conducted on women, I think, it's applicable for men, too. Well, exercising, is never a bad thing, for both men and women, right?
And I believe that the benefits of exercising 1 hour per day, 5 days per week, are beyond weight loss.
Trainning programme:
* The treadmill burns the most calories of standard aerobic machines. It may be particularly effective when used in short multiple bouts during the day. Exercise sessions as short as 10 minutes in duration that are done frequently (about four times a day) may be the most successful program for obese people.
* The more strenuous the exercise, the longer the metabolism continues to burn calories before returning to its resting level. This state of elevated metabolism can last for as little as a few minutes after light exercise to as long as several hours after prolonged or heavy exercise.
* Resistance, or strength, training is excellent for replacing fat with muscles. It should be performed two or three times a week.
* Fidgeting may be very helpful in keeping pounds off. Regular exercise is certainly the best course, but for people who must sit for hours at work, frequently shifting positions while sitting may have some benefit.
* It is important to realize that as people slim down, their initial level of physical activity becomes easier and they burn fewer calories per mile of walking or jogging. The rate of weight loss slows down, sometimes discouragingly so, after an initial dramatic head start using diet and exercise combinations. People should be aware of this phenomenon and keep adding to their daily exercise regimen.
* As people age, they also need to exercise more to keep off the same amount of weight.
* Changes in fat and muscle distribution may differ between men and women as they exercise. Men tend to lose abdominal fat (which lowers their risk for heart disease faster than reducing general body fat). Exercise, however, does not appear to have the same effect on weight distribution in women. A study of women who underwent aerobic and strength training resulted in fat loss in their arms and trunk, but no gain in muscle tissue.
Motivation :
Motivation, or a lack thereof, is one reason may people stop exercising. Here are some tips for avoiding burn out:
* Think of exercise as a menu rather than a diet. Choose a number of different physical activities that are personally enjoyable such as sports, dancing, or biking. Although experts say you should get 30 minutes of aerobic exercises at least five times a week, those times can be divided into shorter periods -- such as 10 minute sessions. In addition, people can achieve health benefits from other exercise programs, including weight training, yoga, or tai chi.
* Stick to a prepared schedule and record progress.
* Develop an interest or hobby that requires physical activity.
* Adopt simple routines such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator, walking instead of driving to the local newsstand, or canoeing instead of zooming along in a powerboat.
* Try cross training (regularly switching from one type of exercise to another). Studies suggest it is more beneficial than focusing only on one form of exercise.
* Exercise with friends.
* Join a gym or take classes. Many affordable programs are available.
* For those who can afford them, personal trainers can be very helpful and are available in many gyms and exercise clubs. Personal trainers without any connection to a well-reputed gym or fitness club should be certified by a major fitness organization, such as the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) or the American Council on Exercise.
* Exercise videos may also be helpful, but people should be sure they are suited to individual age and health needs and bear the seal of the AFAA.
* Consider getting a dog. A study in the February 2006 American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that dog owners in Canada walk almost twice as much as those who don’t own a dog. Regular walking is a good way to improve health.
Differences in Motivation Between Men and Women. Motivation factors may differ by gender and women appear to have a harder time. In one study weight loss was the greatest motivator to exercise for women and muscle tone was the primary motivator for men. Unfortunately, cosmetic effects may take a long time to become apparent, discouraging people from continuing even though their health is improving.
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