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Doctors Reveal Whether You Really Need To Exercise To Lose Weight

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Doctors Reveal Whether You Really Need To Exercise To Lose Weight

It’s been a hotly debated topic for years: Is focusing on your diet or your workout regimen better when you’re trying to lose weight? While research over time has generally found that dietary changes will have a larger impact on your weight than exercise alone, health experts still stress the importance of exercise in a holistic weight loss program—and here’s why.

On its own, “exercise is not a very effective tool for weight loss,” says Alexandra Sowa, MD, an internal medicine doctor specializing in preventative health, nutrition, and obesity medicine and the author of the forthcoming book The Ozempic Revolution. “But exercise is still important for cardiovascular health, overall longevity, and cognitive health.”

To simplify things, Mir Ali, MD, the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, says to consider this comparison: A 155-pound adult will burn about 200 calories doing a 30-minute low-impact aerobics class. A tall Starbucks mocha is nearly 300 calories. Based on the math alone, you’d have more impact on your weight loss efforts—and save more time—by simply skipping the mocha.

Research has had similar conclusions. One scientific review concluded that doing consistent moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, like walking for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, likely won’t lead to any significant weight loss in most people without dietary changes. Another older scientific analysis of six studies in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that people who focused on diet and exercise to lose weight didn’t end up dropping more pounds in a six-month period than people who solely altered their diet.

Exercise isn’t completely meaningless when it comes to weight loss, though.

In fact, some data suggest that a combination of dietary changes and exercise is superior to help you drop pounds. “The majority of weight loss involves diet, but exercise plays a role,” says Dr. Ali. “It can help support weight loss, and maintain your metabolism.” But if you don’t tweak your diet first and foremost, you likely won’t see notable results, he notes.

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Also, exercise may make more of a difference in your waistline over the long term. That same study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that found exercisers and dieters lost similar amounts of weight after six months did determine that people who focused on combining diet and physical activity lost more weight over a year than interventions based on diet or physical activity alone.

“Exercise is still important for cardiovascular health, overall longevity, and cognitive health.”

Working out beyond what’s recommended may have an impact, too. One study found that people who burned at least 400 to 500 calories a workout, five or more days a week, experienced weight loss without nutrition interventions. That’s why you may notice that you slim down if you’re, say, training for a half marathon or distance bike race.

Exercise can also help prevent weight gain and support weight maintenance once you reach your goal weight, Dr. Sowa says. That’s why she suggests that her patients “get into the habit of exercise to maintain weight loss and improve long-term health.”

Meet the experts: Mir Ali, MD, is the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. Michael Snyder, MD, is the director of the Denver Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Foundation and a medical advisory team member at FuturHealth. Alexandra Sowa, MD, is an internal medicine doctor specializing in preventative health, nutrition, and obesity medicine and the author of the forthcoming book The Ozempic Revolution.

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Whether strength training is more impactful for weight loss than cardio is still up for debate.

Strength training is generally seen as a wise move because it helps to build muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the harder your body works at rest to burn calories, Dr. Ali explains. It’s also important to focus on increasing muscle mass as you lose weight because your body tends to lose lean muscle mass along with fat. Not only can that mess with your overall strength, it can also lower your metabolism, so you end up not burning as many calories at rest as you did in the past, Dr. Ali adds.

Of course, exercise of any sort still burns calories, and that shouldn’t be minimized. “But exercise can also increase feelings of hunger,” Dr. Ali notes. So, if you’re not being mindful of your diet while working out, you may end up taking in the same amount of calories that you burned during your workout or even more.

When paired with nutrition changes, a workout regimen that prioritizes resistance training and includes some aerobic activity is the sweet spot for weight loss.

Something else to consider: Doctors who prescribe weight loss medications usually recommend that you don’t go overboard with cardio when you’re taking something like Ozempic. Among other things, the medications tend to lower your blood sugar and exercise has a similar impact. Having blood sugar that’s too low raises your risk of uncomfortable symptoms like a rapid heartbeat, shaking, and feeling weak. “If you overdo it with aerobic exercise, it can lower your sugar further,” Dr. Ali says. “However, the point of excessiveness is different for each person.” Meaning, some cardio is probably fine. But training for a marathon while taking Ozempic may be something to discuss and plan for with your physician.

One 2022 scientific review published in the journal Obesity Reviews found that a mix of resistance training and calorie restriction was the most effective at reducing body fat compared to these interventions on their own. However, the researchers also found that a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise also lead to “significant results.” Worth noting: Resistance training alone was also the most effective for increasing lean mass.

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A 2021 analysis of 12 reviews and 149 studies also found that aerobic exercise and HIIT workouts were effective at weight management, while resistance training helped lower the odds of lean muscle mass loss while people lost weight. “These findings show favorable effects of exercise training on weight loss and body composition changes in adults with overweight or obesity,” the researchers concluded.

How To Lose Weight Effectively—Beyond Your Exercise Routine

Doctors recommend these tips whether you’re losing weight with or without medical intervention (say, with the help of a weight loss medication). Experimenting with all of the tips below can help you achieve noticeable and lasting weight loss results—and complement a workout plan too.

1. Prioritize protein.

Everyone should be eating protein, but Dr. Sowa says it’s “very, very important” when you’re on a weight loss journey. “It’s satiating and fills you up,” she says. Protein also helps to prevent muscle loss as you lose weight—a common issue—and to improve your muscle mass, she says.

Everyone’s protein needs are slightly different, but the bare minimum recommendation is 0.35 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day if you’re not active, according to The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But many doctors say you’ll likely need more, especially if you’re active and strength training. That can put you more at something like 0.73 to 1 grams of protein per pound of body weight (or about 30 to 35 grams of protein per meal), per the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

2. Ramp up your fiber intake.

Fiber has a lot going for it. “Fiber slows digestion, keeps you feeling full, and helps regulate blood sugar levels,” says Michael Snyder, MD, director of the Denver Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Foundation and medical advisory team member at FuturHealth. That translates to you feeling fuller, longer after meals and makes it less likely you’ll overeat.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adult women have 22 to 28 grams of fiber a day, but most Americans aren’t getting that. Consider incorporating fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes into your diet. (Just ramp up your fiber intake slowly, or you’ll end up dealing with uncomfortable bloating and gas.)

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3. Get plenty of quality sleep.

Sleep hasn’t been a huge focus with weight loss in the past, but doctors swear it’s a crucial element. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body craves more energy—and that can cause you to reach for more food, Dr. Sowa says.

Dr. Snyder agrees: “Poor sleep disrupts hunger hormones, leading to overeating.”

Everyone’s sleep needs are slightly different, but it’s generally recommended that adults get seven hours of sleep or more a night.

4. Cut out sugary beverages.

Sugary drinks like sodas and sweet teas are packed with simple carbohydrates and add empty calories to your day, Dr. Ali says. If sugary drinks are a regular part of your life, “your body will use those simple carbohydrates as a fuel source rather than burning fat for fuel,” Dr. Ali explains.

These drinks can also mess with your blood sugar, which can cause you to have energy crashes, making you more prone to overeating, Dr. Snyder says.

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5. Practice mindful eating habits.

It’s practically inevitable that you’ll have to eat in front of your computer at some point or that you’ll want to be entertained during dinner. But doing your best to focus on the food in front of you vs. your Instagram feed, and how your body feels while you’re eating can go a long way toward keeping you from overeating, Dr. Ali says.

Among other things, research has shown that mindful eating can help lower the risk of emotional eating. “If you’re more aware about what you’re taking in, you’re more likely to eat better,” Dr. Ali says.

6. Stay well hydrated.

Don’t sleep on the power of hydration. “Not getting enough fluids will make you feel more tired and rundown,” Dr. Ali says. Having enough fluids can also help you to feel fuller, longer and lower the odds you’ll overeat, he says.

Doctors generally recommend that you aim to have your pee be a pale yellow color—that indicates that you’re well hydrated. But if you want a more definitive guide, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that women aim to have 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day from foods and drinks.

7. Make your stress management plan as foolproof as possible.

Some stress is inevitable in life, but being chronically frazzled isn’t great for your weight loss efforts. “Chronic stress increases stress hormone levels, which can lead to weight gain and dietary de-regulation,” Dr. Snyder says.

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Research shows that stress ramps up the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin in your body, stimulating your appetite and encouraging you to eat more than you might have if you were feeling more zen.

8. Add in plenty of vegetables at every meal.

Vegetables usually contain plenty of fiber, which is useful for weight loss, as mentioned. But Dr. Sowa notes that they’re also a great way to fill up while getting in plenty of nutrients. “Vegetables are a wonderful low-calorie, high-density food,” she says.

They can also help crowd out less healthy foods from your plate, Dr. Ali says. He just suggests focusing on high-fiber, lower starch vegetables for weight loss.

9. Swap out refined grains for whole grains.

Quick primer: Refined grains have a lot of nutrients removed and include things like white pasta and white bread. Whole grains have plenty of nutrients and include things like whole wheat, oats, and quinoa.

“Whole grains have more fiber, have a lower effect on blood sugar, are more nutrient-dense, and give longer appetite satisfaction and sustained fullness,” Dr. Snyder says.

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Again, doctors stress the importance of continuing to exercise when you’re on a weight loss journey. “You still want to be active,” Dr. Ali says. “You want to at least maintain the activity that you’re already doing, and ideally increase it.”

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.

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A Few Hours Of Walking Every Week Could Slash Your Risk Of An Early Death, New Study Suggests

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A Few Hours Of Walking Every Week Could Slash Your Risk Of An Early Death, New Study Suggests

A good workout can help you build muscle, get a better night’s sleep, and feel really good. But it might even help you live longer, a new study found.

You don’t even need to do anything drastic to reap the benefits. Here’s what researchers found, plus how to ramp up your own exercise routine to get the perks.

Meet the experts: Ryan Glatt, CPT, is a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California. Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is a personal trainer and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.

What did the study find?

The study, which was published in the journal Circulation, analyzed data from two U.S. cohorts of more than 116,000 adults on their exercise routines and overall health. (Data was collected from the participants 15 times over 30 years.)

Scientists found that people who did 300 to 599 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week had a 26 to 31 percent lower all-cause mortality and a 28 to 38 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. They also had an up to 27 percent lower risk of dying from something outside of cardiovascular disease. (Moderate physical activity is defined as walking, weightlifting, and other types of lower-intensity exercise, according to the American Medical Association.)

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That, of course, goes far beyond the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise advised by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. But it appears as if working out more can raise your odds of living longer.

Can exercise make me live longer?

There are a lot of factors that go into how long you live, but plenty of research suggests that an exercise habit is linked with a larger life span.

For example, a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people over the age of 40 could live an extra 5.3 years if they were as active as the top 25 percent of the population. And an older scientific analysis concluded that people who are physically active are up to 35 percent less likely to die from any cause compared to their inactive counterparts.

“Physical activity is an essential, but underutilized, strategy for aging well,” says Ryan Glatt, CPT, a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California. “Even minimal activity levels can provide substantial health benefits, including disease prevention and improved quality of life.”

What type of exercise will make me live longer?

In general, any kind of activity seems to help people live longer. However, research suggests that strength training can make you biologically younger, while kettlebell training can help you to age more smoothly.

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If I’m not active, how can I get into exercise?

It’s important to start slowly, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a personal trainer and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. “At different points in your fitness, different exercises are appropriate,” he says. Meaning, you shouldn’t expect to be able to run a marathon if you’re not even doing a walking routine right now.

You can start out small by doing things like going for regular walks at a higher intensity, then ramping up to going for jogs and runs. You can eventually add in things like HIIT classes and strength training.

When you do strength training, Matheny says it’s important to focus on big muscle groups, like your legs. “Body weight exercises—lunges, squats, planks—are great for most people,” he says.

If you want a more defined introduction to exercise, Women’s Health has a four-week beginner workout plan to guide you through.

Ultimately, Matheny says it’s important to come up with a routine you can follow consistently. “Just do the best you can,” he says.

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Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.

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Say Goodbye To Belly Fat With These Celebrity Fitness Instructor-Recommended Abs Workout

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Say Goodbye To Belly Fat With These Celebrity Fitness Instructor-Recommended Abs Workout

Reducing belly fat around the abdomen is a common weight-loss goal shared among people worldwide. Even after working very hard on your fitness, losing belly fat in particular can feel impossible at times. In her recent Instagram video, fitness instructor Yasmin Karachiwala showed a few efficient ab workouts for beginners as well as advanced fitness enthusiasts. Sharing the video, she wrote, “Let’s burn that belly fat. Abs workout for all levels—3 sets x 15 reps. Ready? Let’s do this!” In the shared video, Yasmin suggested 3 abs workouts for beginners including curl up legs down, reverse curls and crisscross. Next up, she demonstrated a bunch of exercises for people with intermediate-level fitness and lastly shared a workout routine for advanced level. Check out the full video here: 

In her previous post, Yasmin Karachiwala shared a video of her using Theraband for doing on-the-go exercises. She said, “Today I want to share with you that one thing that I don’t travel without – the theraband. I love travelling with this because A. It is so light. B. It becomes so tiny that it can fit anywhere in your travel bag and C. It enhances resistance, which increases your strength, builds flexibility and also tones your body. Let me show you some exercises that you can do when you are on the go or at home.” 

Yasmin followed it by showcasing clips of her performing different exercises with a theraband which includes workout routines for shoulder, chest, bicep, abs, leg and more. 

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In the caption, she wrote, “Introducing you to my favourite travel buddy—Theraband. Follow my full body workout and practice 15 reps and 3 sets for each exercise. Try them out and let me know your progress.”

Without further ado, follow Yasmin Karachiwala’s workout recommendations and get going on your fitness journey.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Is the 12-3-30 workout better than walking 10,000 steps? I tried both to find out

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Is the 12-3-30 workout better than walking 10,000 steps? I tried both to find out

“Walking is the best form of exercise you can do,” says Dr Elroy Aguiar, an assistant professor of exercise science at The University of Alabama.

“It’s easily accessible, with a low barrier to entry in terms of cost, equipment and skill requirements. The vast majority of the population can easily get outside and go for a walk; that’s why we say walking is the best recommendation for exercise.”

But, as with anything simple and successful, the internet has found a way to complicate it. Enter the 12-3-30 method – walking on a treadmill with its incline set to 12, at 3mph, for 30 minutes.

Could this viral treadmill routine replace my go-to walking workout?

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Could this viral treadmill routine replace my go-to walking workout? (The Independent / iStock)

Influencer Lauren Giraldo brought the method into the mainstream, claiming it helped her lose 30lb (just over 13.5kg). Now this “cardio hack” has racked up millions of views on Tiktok, with top videos promising rapid weight loss and a “toned” physique.

As a fitness writer who’s ever-sceptical of anything that sounds too good to be true, I decided to give it a go for myself, and see how it compared to simply walking 10,000 steps a day sans-treadmill – which is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years with no complaints.

How to do the 12-3-30 workout

If you want to try the 12-3-30 trend, all you need is a treadmill and a spare 30 minutes. Set the treadmill’s incline to 12, bump the speed up to 3mph (or 4.8kph if, like me, your treadmill of choice only operates in the metric system) then walk for 30 minutes. You can do this in the gym, or using your treadmill at home.

My thoughts on the 12-3-30 workout

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There’s logic behind the 12-3-30 workout. The treadmill offers a more controlled environment than a regular walk, so you can dictate variables like the gradient and pace.

“What you’re doing by increasing the incline is increasing the intensity of the activity,” Dr Aguiar explains. “Incline walking is much more difficult, so it’s going to increase oxygen cost, heart rate and energy expenditure.”

This can improve your cardiovascular fitness. Paired with an appropriate diet, it can also aid weight loss, increasing energy expenditure to create a calorie deficit. But there’s no magic formula to it, you’re just moving more, and some Tiktok videos may overstate its effectiveness on the fat loss front – consistency and time are the real secret ingredients if this is your goal.

Trying the 12-3-30 workout for myself, I wound up far sweatier than I expected; I was essentially walking up a fairly steep hill for 30 minutes. The time went fairly quickly, and compared to a run it didn’t take nearly as much preparation or motivation to get started. These are all plus-points, supporting its reputation as a “cardio hack”. However, I still took umbrage with some elements.

Firstly, I found it a bit boring. I was facing a blank gym wall for the full half hour and, although I roped a friend in to join me for a chat, I’d still rather head to an actual hill for a more stimulating walk.

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It also doesn’t include any sort of progression. The workout will keep burning calories, sure, but if you want to see continued improvements in your fitness then you need to gradually make your training more challenging over time by upping various variables – in the case of a treadmill, the main ones are speed, gradient and time.

My other main qualm is that this workout keeps you cooped up inside. As someone who works from home most days, I’d rather use this time to head outdoors and reap the many benefits of doing so.

“Ideally, it’s good to get outside because there are other benefits – interacting with your environment, sun exposure, those sorts of things,” Dr Aguiar tells me.

Read more: I walked 10,000 steps with a weighted backpack every day for a week – here are five reasons I’m not stopping

My thoughts on walking 10,000 steps a day

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Walking 10,000 steps per day has become a popular fitness goal thanks to fitness trackers making it their default target. But the figure really stems from a 1960s Japanese pedometer called the Manpo-Kei or “10,000 steps metre”. In other words, it’s rooted in marketing, not science.

The actual amount you need to walk each day to see most health benefits is more like 8,000 steps, studies have shown. However, I’ve found walking 10,000 steps a day works for me, and I’ve been doing it for years.

I’ve been walking 10,000 steps for years and it’s always worked well for me

I’ve been walking 10,000 steps for years and it’s always worked well for me (The Independent / Harry Bullmore)

Getting on my feet and out of the house boosts my mood and helps my body feel looser after a day at my desk. I can squeeze extra steps in throughout the day with a lunchtime wander or stroll to the shops, and I enjoy it, often exploring new places or meeting friends for an on-the-go catch-up. For me, an ever-changing natural environment is far more engaging than a blank gym wall too.

Research supports my feel-good theory, with a study published in the Scientific Reports journal finding that spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature is “associated with good health and wellbeing”.

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But there are some drawbacks to this practice too. Without a treadmill belt forcing you to walk fairly fast, it’s easy to let your pace drop while out for a walk. And Dr Aguiar’s research suggests that walking speed could be linked to the health benefits on offer from getting your steps in.

“The recommendation from our studies has shown that, if you walk at a cadence of about 100 steps per minute, that’s equivalent to what’s called ‘moderate intensity’,” he explains. “All of the research in this area suggests that most of the benefits accumulate at a moderate or higher intensity.”

Read more: You only need three moves and one dumbbell for the best abs workout at home, according to a top trainer

The verdict: 12-3-30 workout vs 10,000 steps a day

Both the 12-3-30 workout and walking 10,000 steps a day have pros and cons. However, the mental and physical benefits of both far outweigh any drawbacks.

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Personally, I found walking 10,000 steps a day was the better option by far, leaving me feeling far better than spending 30 minutes staring at a treadmill screen. However, there will be people out there who prefer the structure and tangibility of the 12-3-30 method.

Which brings us to the deciding factors: enjoyment and accessibility. Which one are you able to do regularly, and which one is fun enough to keep you coming back for more?

“I’m not going to dissuade anyone from doing any sort of exercise,” Dr Aguiar says. “Whether people choose to exercise inside on a treadmill or outside by walking around a park, there are benefits to both. And if people are enjoying doing the 12-3-30 trend, good on them.”

In short, adding some extra movement into your routine is rarely a bad thing. If you find something that works for you then it’s well worth sticking with it, rather than flitting between the ever-flowing stream of fitness fads that dominates social media.

As Giraldo says in her initial video on the topic: “I used to be so intimidated by the gym and it wasn’t motivating. But now I go and do this one thing and I can feel good about myself… I look forward to it, it’s my me-time.”

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Read more: Adam Peaty reveals the training and mindset shift that got him to Paris 2024 – and what he plans to do next

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