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Fitness and Weight Loss
Go Together
If you ever needed evidence that keeping fit / becoming fitter
is important for your overall health if you are overweight, then
two pieces of research published recently tell it all.
Research No. 1 studying the use of overweight and general
fitness as predictors of future death in women, concluded that
looking just at fatness as a predictor of mortality risk may
very well be misleading, unless cardiovascular fitness is also
taken into account. In other words, of course it is important to
lose weight to reduce your chances of health problems - but that
is not all. It is also vital to ensure fitness of your heart.
And the only way to achieve this is through good healthy
physical exercise on a regular basis.
In the second research study, this time examining the male
population, 9,136 overweight men with no previous history of
heart disease, were followed up for at least three years.
Individual physical activity and any deaths amongst the group
were recorded. The study's results showed that for overweight
men the level of physical fitness was directly related to the
risk of death from any cause. Even if you were overweight you
could greatly reduce your risk of ill-health by improving and
maintaining fitness levels.
So, the take home message from these research studies? If you
want to maintain your health, physical exercise is just as
important as controlling your weight. Indeed, it may be even
more essential if you are overweight. Exercise not only aids in
helping you to lose and maintain a healthy weight, it also
substantially reduces your risk of future disease such as heart
disease, osteoarthritis and diabetes, and aids mood and
self-esteem.
Why not think about how you can improve your fitness levels over
the coming weeks. In the words of a well-known grocery chain,
"Every little helps"!
© Dr Jeremy Sims
Exercise shouldn't be a chore – find out ways you can get
active, lose that fat and have some fun…
From walking and jogging, to tai-chi and yoga, find out the
health benefits and how to get started
How to find the time and motivation
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