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Time Magazine's intriguing cover
piece "Why exercise won't make you thin" by John
Cloud is still one of the top 10 most read stories on its Web
site, in part because we're desperate for a magic bullet.
For years, food manufacturers
have been telling us not to blame cheap and processed food for
the obesity crisis. Instead, we all just need to move more and
to get recess back into the schools.
Now here comes Cloud, insisting
that it might be better to sit in a chair and knit because
exercise can make you hungry. Since most of us burn far fewer
calories than we think during a workout, a postexercise treat
could negate the whole workout. Another problem according to
Cloud: Exercise is so boring and painful that we reward
ourselves with fattening food when we're done.
The basis for much of the
article was this recent study published in Public Library of
Science in which three groups of obese women exercised at
three different intensity levels. The findings showed that the
women who exercised did not lose significantly more weight
than the control subjects did.
But as Mark Grabiner, a
professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at
the University of Illinois at Chicago, pointed out, the
article failed to mention the study participants were
postmenopausal women, not the 20-something pictured on the
cover. As we age, changes in the body make it harder to lose
weight.
"The key message that
exercise is not a pathway to weight loss? Ridiculous,"
said Grabiner, the director of the university's Clinical
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Laboratory.
The article also overlooks that
there are two main types of exercisers in the world: Those who
have found the type of workouts they love and those who
haven't.
If you don't like running on a
treadmill because it hurts your knees, don't do it. Find
something that fits your lifestyle, your body and your
temperament. For some, that might mean walking. For others, it
might mean group exercise classes or taking the stairs instead
of the elevator at work.
Once you've discovered your
favorite way to move, exercise is a reward, not a punishment.
You may feel so good after a yoga class that you don't want to
put crappy food back into your body. And you'll soon realize
the side effects of exercise include a clear head, a better
mood and feelings of strength and self confidence.
Yes, running five miles might
make you hungry as it revs up your metabolism. So make wise
food choices — it's counterproductive to walk to Starbucks
for a caloric muffin or beverage — and invoke some
willpower.
Surprise your body by changing
things up. Redefine "exercise" as any movement you
get during the day—then seek out new ways to get more of it.
And make fitness — not weight
loss — your primary goal. The pounds will slip off.
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