Doctors frequently encourage patients to exercise more and eat less in order to keep their waist trim, but which form of exercise is the most effective? Yes, according to researchers in China, who have now identified the five types of exercise that are most effective at helping people who are predisposed to obesity stave off that weight gain.
According to the study, which was published in the journal PLOS Genetics, regular jogging is the best type of exercise for managing obesity and avoiding weight gain. Four other exercises also ranked at the top. These include mountain climbing, walking (including power walking), certain types of dance, and long yoga practices.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost 40 percent of American adults are obese, and a total of 72 percent are overweight or obese. This type of research may go a long way in encouraging movement and activity that can be rewarding.
The researchers reached these conclusions after asking 18,424 Han Chinese adults, ages 30 to 70, to record their exercise routines. They then compared their exercise logs to the individuals’ genetics. While it’s possible that these findings won’t translate across other racial and ethnic groups, the study spotlights how staying active can help stave off obesity. Unlike previous exercise-related weight-loss studies, these researchers used five different measures for obesity, including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip-ratio to determine which exercises are the most effective at managing and preventing weight gain. The majority of earlier research looked solely at BMI, which is a measure for obesity that’s falling out of favor with many healthcare providers.
Why jogging specifically? Well, “Jogging keeps the heart rate in a low-end heart rate zone, which is considered the ‘fat burning’ zone,” said Bianca Beldini, a doctor of physical therapy and USA Triathlon Certified Level 1 coach. “This means that the body uses fat for its primary fuel source to maintain the heart rate at this zone.” Beldini continued, “As one increases their rate of exertion, increases resistance or speed, they move into higher heart rate zones, which utilize glycogen or sugar for fuel. I often tell patients that low zone work is like ‘burning the midnight oil,’ so one can go long periods of time at a low intensity because they use their fat stores for energy.” A person with obesity “has a much higher fat to muscle ratio, therefore making it easier to utilize this for fuel,” Beldini explained.
The other most effective forms of exercise highlighted by the researchers had something unique in common, in that they all “require large amounts of effort to maintain a paced workout. The athleticism needed is far greater than the alternatives,” said Eric P. Fleishman, a personal trainer and host of “Celebrity Sweat” on Amazon Prime.
If jogging is the most, what were the least effective workouts for weight loss? Surprisingly, the study found that cycling, stretching, swimming, and Dance Dance Revolution, the cult classic video game that encourages people to move to choreographed steps, just didn’t measure up. And all of these seem to have something in common, too: They don’t require you to use your body mass for exercise. That, Beldini says, may explain the lack of results.
While researchers have found that all forms of exercise and movement can have significant health benefits and help you reach your fitness goals, if yours are focused solely on weight loss, go lace up your running shoes and head out the door.
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