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When it comes to weight loss, exercise matters — just maybe not in the way we’re used to thinking about it. Research has shown that what you eat plays a bigger role initially, but when it comes to keeping off the excess baggage, brisk walking is every bit as important as downing a bowlful of fresh greens.
“Diet-only weight loss programs produce both fat loss, which is good, as well as muscle loss, which is bad because it lowers the metabolic rate and almost always leads to full weight regain, which is bad,” explains Wayne Westcott, professor of exercise science at Quincy College in Quincy, Mass.
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To get the biggest bang for your weight loss buck, says Westcott, start a reasonable diet program (with plenty of protein), combined with cardio and strength training. But before embarking on any weight loss regimen — particularly if it involves high-intensity exercise — be sure to get the green light from your doctor.
Ready to get moving?
Start slow
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that most Americans get at least 150 minutes a week of physical activity, most of that in the form of aerobic exercise, with strength exercises two or more times a week. But that may be a threshold to work up to.
“Start with where you are, at a level that’s achievable — not where you think you should be,” says Janet Hamilton, exercise physiologist and founder of Running Strong Professional Coaching. “You can start a running program at age 60, but you have to build up your stamina and strength. It isn’t a process that happens over days; it happens over weeks.”
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