There are many benefits to exercise for weight loss, but how many people actually do it? Many doctors encourage patients to start slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise they do, but they often fail to follow through. For instance, only 30% of people with diabetes are counseled about the benefits of exercise during their annual primary care visit. In addition, many people find it difficult to start an exercise program at all. In addition, it’s hard to keep up with an exercise routine once you’ve lost some weight.
The study participants’ weight loss was largely based on their body mass index, which is the normal range for the average person. They lost 11 pounds on average – ranging from two to 17 pounds – and almost all of that weight was fat. Despite the lack of weight loss, participants burned 22 percent fewer calories than before the study, which indicates that they had less energy than they had before the study. And even though they had increased their activity level, they also lost more calories outside of their two-hour daily exercise block.
Exercise also improves health and well-being without the need to reduce body weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cite a long list of benefits from exercising: improved mental health, better sleep, lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, and decreased risk of certain types of cancer. In fact, according to federal health guidelines, an average adult should engage in 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day.
