Provided Courtesy of Nutrition411.com
Exercise: How Much
Is Needed to Keep
the Weight Off?
Contributed by Jessica Kendrick, MS, RD/LD
Updated by Nutrition411.com staff
Review Date 1/14
G-1263
Weight Loss vs
Weight Maintenance
• Exercise is not required to
achieve weight loss—only a
calorie deficit is needed
• Exercise is essential for
weight maintenance
Confusing
Recommendations
• CDC/ACSM: “All adults should do at least
30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical
activity on most, preferably all, days of the
week”
• IOM: “One hour per day of moderateintensity physical activity to help maintain
weight in the normal BMI range, and for full
health benefits”
BMI=body mass index, CDC/ACSM=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American College
of Sports Medicine; IOM=Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science
What Is Moderate
Intensity Exercise?
• 3-6 metabolic equivalents (METs) of
physical activity, such as:
– 3.0: Canoeing, rowing, light effort
– 3.0: Walking, 2.5 miles/hour, firm
surface
– 4.0: Swimming, treading water,
moderate effort
– 4.5: Basketball, shooting baskets
– 5.0: Kayaking
– 6.0: Downhill skiing, moderate effort
Confusing
Recommendations
• At moderate intensities, free fatty acids are
mobilized from the periphery to provide the
majority of fuel used and to help with
maintaining fat balance
• “Fat burning” is not restricted to low-intensity
activities
Confusing
Recommendations (cont’d)
• Fat and calories also are used during
high-intensity exercise (≈65% to 85% VO2
max)
• Training programs using intermittent
high-intensity exercise are most beneficial
VO2=oxygen consumption
National Weight Control
Registry
• Formed in 1993 to gain insights into what
made “successful losers”
• Successful losers defined as having lost a
minimum of 30 pounds and having kept it
off for at least 1 year
• Most participants reduced fat intake to 25%
of calories and expended 400 calories/day
through physical activity
Key Strategies
of Successful Losers
•
•
•
•
•
•
Engaging in high-level physical activity
Eating a diet low in calories and fat
Eating breakfast
Self-monitoring weight on a regular basis
Maintaining a consistent eating pattern
Catching slips before they result in larger
weight gains
New Recommendations
• Position Stand from the ACSM: An initial
goal of 150 minutes/week of moderate
physical activity, progressing to
200-300 minutes/week
• This position is consistent with the
observations from the study of successful
losers and original recommendations from
the CDC/ACSM and IOM
2010 Dietary Guidelines
• At least 150 minutes/week of vigorousintensity aerobic activity to reduce risk of
chronic disease
• 60-90 minutes/day of moderate-intensity
physical activity to sustain weight loss
2010 Dietary Guidelines
(cont’d)
• Some individuals will need more than the
equivalent of 300 minutes/week of
moderate-intensity activity to maintain
weight loss
Dose-Response Curve
• It is difficult to provide
a single exercise
prescription to
address all issues
related to weight loss
and weight
maintenance
• Moving up a level has
the greatest benefits
The Bottom Line
• Translating science into practice is not easy
• Recommendation are confusing for the
majority of adults
• The bottom line: Any amount of exercise is
beneficial, but clearly more is better
• JUST DO IT!
References
Hill JO, Wyatt H, Phelan S, Wing R. The National Weight Control Registry:
is it useful in helping deal with our obesity epidemic? J Nutr Educ Behav.
2005;37(4):206-210.
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science. Dietary
Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids,
Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). Washington, DC:
National Academy Press; 2002.
Jakicic JM, Clark K, Coleman E, et al. American College of Sports
Medicine position stand: appropriate intervention strategies for weight
loss and prevention of weight regain in adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
2001;33(12):2145-2156.
References (cont’d)
Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, et al. Physical activity and public health: a
recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA. 1995;273(5):
402-407.
US Dept of Agriculture, US Dept of Health and Human Services. Dietary
Guidelines for Americans 2010. Washington, DC: US Printing Office;
2010.
US Dept of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Health: A
Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Dept of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; 1996.