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Health gain without the pain |
There is a myth out there that there is no point in doing any exercise unless you do a lot in one hard burst. Some reality TV shows might give you the impression that a 'boot camp' type approach is mandatory for weight loss. Nothing could be further from the truth.
For a start, if you are relying on exercise alone to lose weight you may be disappointed. The amount of weight you will lose is actually quite small in percentage terms. However if it is combined with some calorie restriction through making better choices in food then the percentage weight loss can be significantly improved.
What physical activity is really great for is to prevent putting on weight in the first place, for keeping weight off once lost, to improve insulin sensitivity (that means the natural insulin your body produces works better), all of which will help prevent type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, it will help you gain better blood sugar control. It will also help to improve heart fitness, which helps prevent a heart attack.
What's really significant is that research shows that those who gain the most in risk reduction of heart disease and strokes are those who go from doing practically nothing in a physical sense to doing some gentle activity like walking or gardening - preferably something every day, and you can build on that gradually. There are a lot of health gains to be had with this approach.
Dr Andrew Binns
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