Just 30 Minutes Vigorous Exercise A Day Can Stabilize Body Mass Index

November 6, 2007

ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2007) — Don't slack off on exercise if you want

to avoid packing on the pounds as you age.

A consistently high level of physical activity from young adulthood

into middle age increases the odds of maintaining a stable weight and

lessens the amount of weight gained over time, according to a new

analysis from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

People who reported at least 30 minutes of vigorous activity a day

such as jogging, bicycling or swimming were more than twice as likely

to maintain a stable Body Mass Index (BMI) over 20 years. BMI is a

measure of body fat based on height and weight. But even highly active

people who gained weight, gained 14 pounds less over 20 years than

those with consistently low activity.

Although activity is often recommended as a way to prevent weight

gain, this is one of the first studies to examine the relationship

between activity and weight by looking at patterns of exercise over a

long period of time.

Researchers examined data from over 2,600 participants in the Coronary

Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study to determine if

high activity patterns over time were associated with maintaining a

stable BMI. Participants in CARDIA, who were 18 to 30 years old when

the study began, have been tracked for 20 years.

" The results will hopefully encourage young people to become more

active and to maintain high activity over a lifetime, " said Arlene

Hankinson, lead author and an instructor in preventive medicine at the

Feinberg School. Hankinson presented her findings on Monday, Nov. 5,

at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Fla.

Recommended Posts