Study: Exercise More for a Stable Weight
Women who want to avoid weight gain as they get older should do at least an hour a day of moderately intense exercise, a new study concludes. Researchers tracked the physical activity and weight of more than 34,000 healthy women. Their average age was 54 at the start of the study, which lasted 13 years. On average, they gained about 6 pounds in that time. About 13% of the women started at a healthy weight and did not gain. They also did the most exercise â an average of an hour daily, mostly walking. Women who exercised 150 minutes a week or less were much more likely to gain weight. The study focused specifically on weight. The U.S. government says you can gain health benefits from 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. USA Today wrote about it March 24.