Weight Station - Page 4

Some Heartening News

Study after study has found that simply reducing caloric intake significantly reduces weight. A study by Donnelly and cohorts (2009) found that people who lost weight by dieting alone lost as much weight (45 pounds) as groups who supplemented their dieting with aerobic exercise, weight training or both.

A meta-analysis of 493 exercise and dieting studies concluded that modest amounts of aerobic exercise (two to seven hours per week) plus dieting, result in a weight loss of 24.2 pounds over 15 weeks, while diet only programs result in a weight loss of 23.5 pounds.

Why Run?

While running is a poor performer at weight loss, it does confer marvelous health benefits. It improves our cardiorespiratory endurance (aka VO₂max), improves our blood lipid profile (decreases triglycerides, decreases total cholesterol, decreases our risk for hypertension, obesity, cancer, heart disease and diabetes) and finally, not to be underestimated, offers a dramatic improvement in our psychological state of well being, providing us with decreased anxiety and depression.

Running for Weight Maintenance

How effective is running for maintaining our weight once we have achieved our ideal weight? Consistent exercise, including running, is among the top predictors for success in weight control and maintenance, along with healthy eating habits and measuring your weight frequently.

Roy Stevenson is an exercise physiologist who has taught exercise science and sports nutrition at universities in the Puget Sound. He has published over 250 articles on running, triathlon training, fitness and nutrition.

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