This weeks Q & A with Accredited Practicing Dietitian Julie Hennessy: Why doesnt exercise work for me? Exercising alone to shed unwanted kilos is not likely to be effective for overweight or obese people. It is very tough to exercise your way out of being overweight. Studies suggest that three to five hours of moderate or vigorous exercise each week over a year, show a modest weight loss of 1.8kg for overweight or obese individuals. But when exercise is combined with changes to dietary intake the weight loss can be as high as 7 ½ kg in just 12 weeks. This is not however a green light to stop exercising altogether. While exercise alone might do little for the waistline, regular activity is necessary for cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, posture and body shape. Furthermore exercise makes you feel good and when you feel good, it is easier to stay motivated for behaviour change. It is also important to consider that while changes to dietary intake are more effective for short-term weight loss, a continuing exercise program is effective for maintenance of weight loss over two or more years. Bottom line - if you set out to exercise without doing anything about your dietary intake, it is highly unlikely that you will lose a significant amount of weight. Instead shift your expectations – aim for 30 minutes of exercise per day to make you feel good and improve overall health outcomes.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 01:42:03 +0000
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