The cool part of this University of Pittsburgh study, however, is that it illustrates that we are being way too soft on ourselves when it comes to the amount of exercise needed to make a real difference.
It looks like 60 - 90 minutes a day is what's needed to actually shed those unwanted pounds and keep them off for good.
That’s a lot of time - certainly more than I invest in my workouts - but it makes sense. We need to use it to lose it! I’m convinced that a major reason we gain weight as we age is our transition from an active lifestyle as a kid to a sedentary lifestyle as an adult. Healthy kids (at least in the olden days) run everywhere they go. Then they go to recess and run. Then after school they play some kind of running around games. See the pattern? I got in the office today a little after 7 am and intend to be here ’til about 6 pm. I basically plan to be sitting down (and frequently snacking) all day long. How could someone not gain weight by spending their days like this?!
The good news about the study - other than the fact that it’s a great wake-up call to folks trying to lose weight - is that those 60 - 90 minutes don’t need to be spent at maximum capacity.
Apparently moderate levels of exercise, such as walking or gardening, can make a big difference if they are strenuous enough to make one a little out of breath.
Source: Reported by Eat More Cookies Blog http://eatmorecookies.wordpress.com/
