By Korey DiRoma, ND
Recently there was a study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) that concluded that women need to exercise 1 hour per day 7 days per week to MAINTAIN weight, let alone lose weight. I have since heard on multiple T.V. and radio broadcasts about the study, and the reaction from women has not been positive, for obvious reasons. Women lead very busy lives and finding the time for 1 hour of exercise every day sounds more like burden than anything else. So I’m writing this blog to shed some light on this study, and to clarify what the study actually concluded.
The study was published by the Department of Medicine in Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School. The group was comprised of 34,079 women with an average age of 54 years old over a 15 year period. The diet was described as a “usual” diet. Three groups were followed, those exercising less than 2.5 hours per week, those exercising 2.5 to 7 hours per week, and those exercising over 7 hours per week. The exercise was defined as moderate-intensity activity.
The study concluded that all women in the group gained an average of 5.7 pounds over a 15 year period. There were only slight differences in weight gain among the groups taken in 3 year intervals, about ¼ pound. And activity level correlated with successfully maintaining weight only for those with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of less than 25, but not for those with a BMI of greater than 25 or 30.
So what does all of this mean? There does not seem to be large enough differences in weight gain between the different exercise groups. And the only group who actually maintained weight, defined as <5 pounds over 15 years, were those who already had a normal BMI of less than 25.
As far as exercise is concerned, some activity is better than no activity. So don’t feel that you need to exercise 1 hour per day every day to maintain your weight. Plus in this study moderate-intensity activity was defined as brisk walking, dancing, or gardening. Higher intensity exercises typically require less time, because they burn more calories. And we all know that the more weight loss equals calories in minus calories out. What I have found is that many of us are not exercising with enough intensity, and eating too many high calorie foods. So my recommendation is to find an activity you like to do (it doesn’t always mean going to the gym) like hiking, swimming, kayaking, golfing, biking, running, etc. and do it often. The more you enjoy your activity, the more likely you will actually do it
