Exercise not necessary for weight loss

Gaining weight. That's right: Sometimes an exercise program can cause the opposite of its intended effect.

Follow Us On The Web

One study from a team of Arizona State University researchers tracked 81 sedentary, overweight women over a week exercise program that consisted of 30 minutes of brisk treadmill walking three times per week. Another study from researchers at Louisiana State University followed overweight men and women enrolled in a supervised aerobic exercise program over the course of six months.

The study found that the participants ended up compensating for the calories lost to working out by eating more.

As a result, many participants didn't lose weight, or they gained it. But for the average person, the required intensity and time commitment — about an hour every day — can be difficult to stick to. Most health professionals recommend implementing both approaches — calorie control and exercise — when losing weight.

And this is probably pretty sound advice. But where exercise might be more helpful is keeping weight off once we've lost it. A recent study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center revealed that exercise plays a greater role than diet in sustaining substantial weight loss. No matter your weight or fitness goals, remember that the health benefits of a balanced diet and exercise regime go far beyond a number on the scale.

And, it's a controversial idea, but some researchers think you can be "fat but fit. So, if you find yourself frustrated the next time you step on the scale, Kuk recommends asking yourself why you're trying to lose weight in the first place.

Why exercise won't make you thin

Get Up and Move Around. Is There Any Truth to This? Register for an account X Enter your name and email address below. X Website access code Enter your access code into the form field below.

Why exercise won't make you lose weight - CNN

Apply code If you are a Zinio, Nook, Kindle, Apple, or Google Play subscriber, you can enter your website access code to gain subscriber access. The Sciences. Planet Earth. Exercising but not losing weight? It might be because of what's on your plate.

Site Information Navigation

Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news. Sign up for the Newsletter Sign Up. More From Discover. Recommendations From Our Store. The team are the latest to challenge obesity prevention strategies that recommend increasing daily physical activity as a way to shed the pounds.

Why exercise won't make you lose weight

If true, it would go some way to explaining an apparent contradiction between two types of study carried out by researchers. On the one hand, there are studies which show that increasing exercise levels tends to lead to people expending more energy and on the other, there are ecological studies in humans and animals showing that more active populations for example hunter-gatherers in Africa do not have higher total energy expenditure. There is tons of evidence that exercise is important for keeping our bodies and minds healthy, and this work does nothing to change that message.

• atkins weight loss first two weeks.
• The science is in: exercise won’t help you lose much weight!
• 3 protein shakes a day weight loss.

What our work adds is that we also need to focus on diet, particularly when it comes to managing our weight and preventing or reversing unhealthy weight gain. The researchers measured the daily energy expenditure and activity levels of more than adults drawn from five countries across Africa and North America over the course of a week. They found that physical activity does have a weak influence daily energy expenditure, but only among subjects on the lower half of the physical activity spectrum.

People with moderate activity levels had higher daily energy expenditures - about calories more - than the most sedentary people. However, people who did more than moderate activity had nothing to show for it in terms of increasing the amount of energy they expended.

• Why you shouldn't exercise to lose weight, explained with 60+ studies!
• coffee enema fast weight loss.
• movies to motivate weight loss.
• garcinia setia alam.
• Exercise alone won't cause weight loss, study shows | Science | The Guardian!
• Share this story!

The results could help explain why people who start exercise programmes with the aim of shedding pounds often see a decline in weight loss - or even a reversal - after a few months. In light of their findings, the authors suggest revision of World Health Organisation guidance on how to prevent weight gain and obesity , which suggests minutes of activity a week for adults although it also includes dietary advice.

In the UK, the advice is minutes of moderate activity a week , although maintaining a healthy weight is just one of the listed benefits.