How weight training can help control body weight – International

exercise with weights Several times a week can help prevent obesityAccording to an interesting study about resistance exercise and body fat recently released. It shows that people who regularly complete exercises of any kind to strengthen muscles They are 20% to 30% less likely to become obese than those who don’t, whether or not they do aerobic exercise.

Research shows that weight training can be more important for managing body weight than many expect, and a little exercise now can make us lighter later.

happening obesity we United State It is increasing: About 40% of adults now meet the basic criteria for obesity. By the end of the decade, that percentage is expected to rise to more than 50%.

Unfortunately, few people will lose the long-term gained weight once it is gained. Most people who lose more than 5% of their body weight will regain their weight within five years.

So, the most effective way to fight obesity is probably to prevent it. it’s the regular exercise can help with that. Several studies show that people who frequently walk, run, swim, or do other aerobic activities tend to gain less weight with age than sedentary people and are less likely to become obese.

However, not much is known about the possibility of this happening weight exercises It also affects the outcome. Previous research suggests that resistance training helps people maintain muscle mass as they try to lose weight. However, it is unclear whether it also helps control long-term weight gain and prevent obesity.

And therefore, For the new study, published in June in the journal MEDICINE PLOSResearchers at Iowa State University in Ames and other institutions decided to look at the relationship, if any, between weight and abdominal circumference. To do this, they turned to the massive, primary database compiled for the Aerobic Center Longitudinal Study, a famous achievement that monitored the medical, health, and physical status of tens of thousands of patients who visited the Cooper Clinic in Dallas between 1987 and 2005. These men and women underwent extensive testing during their repeated visits. clinic over the years.

Now, Iowa researchers have examined data from nearly 12,000 participants, most of them middle-aged. None of them were obese when they entered the Aerobic Center study according to them BMI or BMI (which estimates body fat based on height and weight).

These subjects had completed the necessary series of health and fitness measurements at their clinic visits and were asked to complete an exercise questionnaire that asked, among other things, about weight training. For example, have you ever done “muscle-strengthening exercises?” If yes, “How often and for how many minutes each week”?

The researchers then began transmitting information, and tracking people’s weights and other measurements, from one clinic visit to the next. According to BMI, about 7% of men and women became obese within six years of their first clinic visit.

But BMI is a vague approximation of body composition and is not always an accurate measure of adiposity. Therefore, the researchers also checked for changes in waistline of people and their percentage body fat To determine if they are obese. With a waist circumference greater than 101.6 cm for men and 88.9 cm for women, or a body fat percentage greater than 25% for men and 30% for women, about 19% of participants became obese over the years.

However, the researchers found that exercising with weights altered these results, significantly reducing a person’s risk of developing obesity, according to either evaluation. Men and women who reported exercising to strengthen their muscles several times a week, a total of 1 to 2 hours per week, were 20% less likely to become obese over the years, based on their BMI, and about 30% less likely, based on circumference Waist or body fat percentage.

The benefits remained when the researchers controlled for age, gender, smoking, general health, and exercise. People who did aerobic exercise and exercise with weights were less likely to be obese. But also those who exercised almost exclusively with weights reported little or no aerobic exercise.

The results indicate that “a significant benefit can be achieved by using Weight trainingEven if it is reduced, says Angelique Brilinthen, professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University, who led the new study.

Of course, the study was based on observation and did not prove that resistance training prevents weight gain, only that it is associated. It also didn’t take into account people’s diet, genetics, or attitudes toward health, which can influence obesity risk.

Dr. says. Brilenthen. Muscle, a metabolically active tissue, burns calories and slightly increases our metabolic rate. Interestingly, the desired effect of increasing muscle mass may also explain why fewer exercisers avoided obesity when researchers used BMI as a parameter. BMI does not differentiate between muscle and fat, Dr. Brilenthen. If we add muscle exercises and weights, our BMI can increase.

However, the primary message of the study is that certain weight exercises are likely, over time, to help with weight control. “So my advice is to create some of these exercises before or after your daily walk,” the doctor suggests. Or join a gym or take classes online. / Translated by Anna Capovilla

The New York Times Licensing Group – All rights reserved. Reproduction of any kind without written permission of the New York Times is prohibited.