Exercise for life

Apr 15, 2010 10:00 AM

"I can’t help my weight—it’s my genes." "I don’t have time to exercise." "I hate going to the gym and getting sweaty."

If that sounds familiar, listen up. Yes, genes can affect your chances of putting on weight, but getting regular exercise can actually limit the amount of weight you gain in adolescence. And building exercise into your day, simply by walking faster, can protect you from having a stroke in later life.

Two studies published in the last week highlight the protective effects of exercise. The first looked at teenagers who had a gene variation known to be associated with obesity. In effect, the genetic variation means these teens are programmed to eat more than their bodies need. You might think these kids didn’t have a chance of staying slim. Not so.

The researchers looked to see what happened to these teens, if they did the recommended one hour of moderate exercise a day. They found the more active teenagers had less body fat, were slimmer round the waist, and had a lower body mass index. Although their measurements were slightly above those of teens without the obesity gene, they were way below those of teens who had the obesity gene but didn’t get enough exercise.

And if your teenage years are behind you, there’s another reason to keep active. A separate study looked at the effect of physical activity on the risk of having a stroke, for women ages 45 and older.

The women who walked faster (around 3 miles an hour), or for longer (over two hours a week), were about one-third less likely to have a stroke during the 10 years of follow-up, compared to less active women.

Now, both of these studies were observational studies, which means researchers looked at how people behaved and compared the effect on their health. That type of study is less reliable than one where researchers randomly assign people to particular treatments or behavior.

But that doesn’t mean we should ignore them. These are good, well-run studies that show a clear benefit for keeping active, from teenage years to later life.

What you need to know. Human beings were made to be active. Our sedentary lifestyles cause all sorts of problems for our bodies, from obesity to diabetes to heart disease. Keeping active, even if it’s just taking a daily walk at a brisk pace, can make all the difference.

—Anna Sayburn, patient editor, BMJ Group

ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.

Find out why some people gain weight more easily than others, and take a look at how fitting in 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week doesn't have to mean hitting the gym.