Exercise prescription for weight loss and weight management
Overweight and obesity is defined by having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or greater. Being overweight and obese increases the risk of developing several chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis.
Once you ebecome overweight or obese, weight reduction is difficult to sustain and research indicates that many relapse and gain more weight. Preventing weight gain, therefore, is a significant public health challenge. Physical activity and exercise are considered key treatment strategies in the prevention of weight grain.
With the many physical activity options such as mode/type, intensity and duration of the activity, it is not easy to determine the best exercise program for the overweight/obese client. The aim of this article was to review the latest evidence on exercise prescription factors and their relationship with weight loss and weight maintenance.
Mode of exercise for weight loss and weight maintenance: the studies show that exercise should be aerobic and weight bearing (walking, jogging), as opposed to non-weight bearing (swimming, cycling). However, given that obesity is related to lower back, hip, knee and ankle pain, non-weight bearing exercise can be used as an alternative.
The evidence for resistance training is mixed. However, resistance training may have other effects independent of weight loss, such as improved functional capacity and metabolic health.
Duration of exercise for weight loss and weight maintenance: studies show a dose-response relationship between physical activity duration and weight loss – meaning that the greater the duration of exercise the more weight loss. The current evidence shows that adults should be doing between 200-300 minutes/week of aerobic exercise for weight loss.
Intensity of exercise for weight loss and weight maintenance: it important to note that this population group have difficulty in engaging in even light-intensity exercise. Therefore, training programs should be started on using light-to-moderate intensity exercise and gradually increase to vigorous-intensity activity as the individual improves their exercise capacity.
Summary
Overall, the current evidence suggests that exercise prescription for weight loss and weight maintenance should include aerobic weight-bearing exercise, performed 200-330 minutes per week and the intensity should be progressively overloaded to achieve vigorous levels of intensity. Overweight and obese clients should aim to adhere to these exercise programs to prevent weigh gain and maximise weight loss.
Title: Physical Activity and Training Prescription – applications for preventing obesity and weight gain
Authors: Buzzachera, C, Meucci, M & Baldari, C
Journal: Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity – Book chapter
Year: 2014
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