Weight loss takes 250 minutes of exercise per week, 150 to maintain current weight
Adults need at least 250 minutes per week (50 minutes of exercise five days a week) to lose weight, reveals the recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). If you are trying to maintain current weight, rather than lose weight, you may be OK with the 30-minute workouts. The ACSM recommends that adults take part in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity to prevent weight gain. (webmd.com)
Research: Post-workout snack may prevent weight loss
Professional athletes are advised to "fill the tank" with an energy bar or sports drink after a workout. But for mere mortals trying to keep their weight in check adding calories right after burning them up could negate the benefits of the workout. "If people are going to go out and exercise to benefit their health, they should not be eating back the calories immediately upon finishing, or within a couple of hours of finishing. In order to maintain the benefits, you need to be in this calorie deficit," said Barry S. Braun, director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. (washingtonpost.com)
How to walk off the belly fat - Give your waistline a trimming by tweaking your walk
Sure, walking is good exercise. But here's something you might not realize: You can give your waistline a good trimming by adjusting your walk. Adding bounding, jumping, and skipping moves (called plyometrics) to walk is a fun way to spike the intensity. You'll burn up to twice as many calories (and more belly fat) than you would just walking at a moderate pace. To triple the number of calories you burn, go to where it's hilly. Walking on hills can burn a lot of calories and fat, so you'll work that huge stomach off faster. Uphill walks are great for strengthening and shaping your lower half. (cnn.com)
55 minutes of daily activity, instead of 30 minutes, the ticket to weight loss
A new research has discovered that for overweight and obese women seeking to lose weight, 55 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week is needed to lose 10% of overall body weight over 2 years. Currently the recommended amount is 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week, amounting 150 minutes per week. The participants were split to four groups, each with a different activity level. Those who did maintain a weight loss of 10% or more over the 2-year period exercised for 275 minutes - rather than 150 minutes. (cbc.ca)
Pedometer-based walking programs help with weight loss
People who take part in a pedometer-based walking program can be expected to lose a small amount of weight even without changing their diet, with more weight loss the longer they stick with the program, claims a University of Michigan Health System analysis of 9 studies. Participants increased the distance they walked by 1 mile to slightly over 2 miles each day. (news-medical)
Workouts: Taking Breaks Burns More Fat
Taking a break during workout may metabolize more fat than exercising without stopping, according to a study in Japan. Researchers conducted the first known study to compare 2 exercise methods: exercising continually in one long bout versus breaking up the workout with a rest period. The findings could change the way we approach exercise: "Many people believe prolonged exercise will be optimal in order to reduce body fat, but our study has shown that repetitions of shorter exercise may cause enhancements of fat mobilization and utilization during and after the exercise." (newsmax)
Exercising after meals boosts hormones that suppress appetite
Exercising after meals can help promote weight loss by boosting hormones that suppress appetite. Active people feel less hungry after exercise, and this carries through to their next meal. Even when their meals were bigger, sporty people gained fewer calories overall because they burned off more. --- Volunteers were fed the same breakfast. An hour later, half of them worked out. And when given the chance to eat afterwards, people who had exercised tended to eat more, however, when the amount of energy burned during exercise was taken into account, the sporty people took in fewer calories overall. (bbc)
Exercising for Weight Loss a Boon to Bones
Losing weight through exercise prevents the loss of bone density that occurs from just cutting calories to shed pounds, a study has found. This suggests you'd want to do diet and exercise together to have less harmful effects on the bone. (thirdage)
Obese should exercise not diet
Women who are clinically obese don't need to diet to improve their health, say researchers. A programme which encouraged women not to diet but to take part in exercise classes found significant improvements in health and well-being. After a year, the women had only lost a little weight but were fitter and happier with themselves. They were required to do four hours a week of exercise, such as tai chi, aqua aerobics or circuit classes. (bbc)
Cardio workout for those in their 50s and 60s who want weight loss
Those in their 50s and 60s who want to lose weight might consider heading to the cardio workout instead of counting calories, suggests research. Both those who dieted and those who exercised lost weight. However, while exercisers maintained their strength and muscle mass and increased aerobic capacity, those who dieted lost muscle mass, strength and aerobic capacity. "If push comes to shove and somebody wants to know if they should diet or exercise to lose weight, I would suggest exercise, provided they are willing to put in the extra time and effort and not offset the gains they make by eating more." (eurekalert)
Myths and Facts of Weight-loss Walking
Walking is easy to do and apart from a pair of comfortable shoes needs no equipment. Because of this simplicity people sometimes believe walking can't help to make you healthier. These are most common myths explained. (Myth) Walking will make you hungry so you eat more than usual. (Facts) Walking does not automatically make you hungry. If you are overweight you won't need extra calories after a walk. (Myth) If there is no Pain then there is no gain. (Facts) Not true. You do not have to come back from your walk aching and sweaty. (bellaonline)
Metabolism excuse -- Exercise away your sluggish metabolism
Ah, the metabolism excuse. The one that ignores the fact that most overweight people eat too much and don't move enough. Right? Actually, Yavari says, a lot of his patients have indeed screwed up their metabolisms. Recently he tested a 27-year-old "who had the caloric burn rate of a 60-year-old." Yavari blames years of bad diets and yo-yo weight loss for making weight loss such a battle. "Some people may snicker a bit when an overweight person blames their metabolism. But the truth is ... they may be right." What's keeping many overweight from losing weight is a condition known as metabolic syndrome, a malfunction in the way the body breaks down food. (stamfordadvocate)
Athletes Limiting Calories More Likely To Get Stress Fractures
Researchers studied risk factors for exercise-related leg pain, including stress fractures in women participating in sports. Women with "disordered eating," which includes eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia but more generally refers to insufficient caloric intake, were more likely to develop stress fractures. Athletes who developed stress fractures had more abnormal scores on the eating behavior quiz and also showed decreased bone mineral density, findings suggestive of disordered eating, which is an umbrella term for common eating disorders as well as any other nutritional deficiency. (sciencedaily)
What to Eat After Your Workout
Carbohydrates may be considered evil in this age of the low-carb diet revolution, but the nutrient plays an key role in helping athletes recover from strenuous exercise. Two decades of research have shown that consuming carbs after a hard workout rebuilds worn muscles and primes the body for the next training. Failure to eat the right food after exercise -- or worse, skipping the meal altogether -- can harm your body. Neglecting or avoiding the post-workout meal could result in muscle breakdown and leave your body feeling fatigued during the next workout. (thirdage)