To Your Health
January, 2025 (Vol. 19, Issue 01) |
|
|
How Much Aerobic Exercise?
By Editorial Staff
Aerobic exercise is invaluable for improving overall health and specifically for weight loss, as it both burns calories and increases metabolism (which burns even more calories while you're at rest).
But how much aerobic exercise do you need to do every week to get the most benefit when it comes to weight loss? Let's look at what new research suggests.
According to the analysis of 116 clinical trials involving nearly 7,000 overweight and obese adults, aerobic exercise up to 300 minutes per week (performed at moderate to vigorous intensities) reduces body weight, waist circumference and body fat, with reductions increasing with every additional 30 minutes of exercise. According to the research team, "aerobic training exceeding 150 minutes per week at moderate intensity or greater may be needed to achieve associations with clinically important reductions."
OK, so what if you're struggling to find the time to do any aerobic exercise, much less 300 minutes? Start small and gradually build your way up. Motivation and results are powerful, but remember to give it time. Too many people get frustrated after a few weeks or months and give up before they've achieved the weight loss they need to optimize their health and wellness. If you're one of those people, stop the cycle now ... by jumping on one and doing some aerobic exercise!
