People were urged to do at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week to lose weight
People who want to lose meaningful amounts of weight through exercise may need to spend more than two and a half hours per week on aerobic exercise such as running, walking or cycling, researchers say.
The finding came from a review of 116 published clinical trials that examined the impact of exercise on weight loss, waist size and body fat. In total, the studies reported data from nearly 7,000 adults who were overweight or obese, meaning their body mass index (BMI) was more than 25.
Analysis of the results of the studies showed that body weight, waist circumference and body fat all decreased as people increased their aerobic exercise each week, but training for less than 30 minutes a day, five days a week resulted in only small reductions, the researchers found. .
“At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is needed to achieve significant weight loss,” said Dr. Ahmad Jayedi, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, and first author of the study published in the medical journal. Jama network opened. For people who are overweight or obese, losing 5% of body weight in three months is considered clinically important, Jayedi said.
The NHS says all adults should do some form of physical activity every day. People aged 19 to 64 are urged to get at least two and a half hours of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, every week to stay fit and reduce the risk of conditions such as heart attack and stroke. The latest study suggests that the same level of aerobic exercise is the minimum needed to achieve meaningful weight loss for people with a BMI over 25.
Jayedi acknowledged that the goal may seem daunting to some, but urged people to find a practice they could build into their daily routine. For example, people could increase the distance they walk by changing their route to work or getting off the bus or train one stop earlier than normal, he said.
“Motivating people can be quite a challenge, especially when it comes to changing their lifestyle and increasing their physical activity levels. Habits such as consuming a lot of ultra-processed foods and leading a sedentary lifestyle are deeply ingrained, making them difficult to change,” says Jayedi.
“When it comes to exercise, all forms are beneficial, and we have not evaluated any differences between them. However, walking and running are excellent examples of aerobic activities that can be easily integrated into our daily lives,” he added.
The national health guidelines recommend that people spread out their exercises over the course of the week, but recent studies have shown that “weekend warriors” who cram all their workouts into Saturdays and Sundays reap similar health benefits. One study found that weekend warriors who did a week’s worth of exercise in one or two days were less likely to develop more than 200 diseases than inactive people.
For people who want to lose weight, doctors recommend a healthy diet and regular exercise to ensure people don’t consume too many calories. Jayedi said a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish, and low in red meat, sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods was helpful and reduced the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers decreased. .
Last month, a report from the charity the Food Farming and Countryside Commission said Britain’s growing addiction to unhealthy food is costing the country £268 billion a year, more than the entire NHS budget. “Rather than keeping us healthy, our current food system, with its excessive reverence for what is colloquially known as ‘big food,’ is making us sick. The cost of controlling this disease is quickly becoming prohibitive,” the report said.