Irregular Exercise Increases Body Weight

Washington, : Irregular exercisers may end up adding extra pounds to their body weight, says a new study.

The consequences of quitting exercise may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study from the US Department of Energy"s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The weight gained during the period of suspension of exercise can be tough to shed when exercise is resumed at a later date.

The study, conducted by Paul Williams of Berkeley Lab"s Life Sciences Division, found that the key to staying trim is to remain active year-round, year-after-year, Science Daily reported.

People should avoid seasonal and irregular exercise patterns.

Most of all, don"t quit. Failure to do so may be a contributing factor in the nation"s obesity epidemic.

''The price to pay for quitting exercise is higher than expected, and this price may be an important factor in the obesity epidemic affecting Americans,'' Paul Williams of Barkeley Labs said.

The study should prompt people to think twice before taking a break from their exercise regimens, despite the pressures of family and work obligations, or waning motivation.

Using data collected from the National Runners" Health Study, Williams found that the impact of increasing and decreasing vigorous exercise aren"t the same among all runners.

At distances above 20 miles per week in men and 10 miles per week in women, the pounds gained by running less were about the same as the pounds lost by running more.

At these exercise levels, the effects of training and quitting training are comparable, and the weight gains and losses associated with changes in exercise levels are probably reversible.

However, Williams found that people who didn"t run as many miles per week face an uphill battle if they want to lose the pounds accumulated during an exercise gap. At these less intense levels, an interruption in exercise produces weight gain that is not lost by simply resuming the same exercise regimen.

''At lower mileages, there is asymmetric weight gain and loss from increasing and decreasing exercise, leading to an expected weight gain from an exercise hiatus,'' Williams said.

''In other words, if you stop exercising, you don"t get to resume where you left off if you want to lose weight, he added.

Specifically, Williams compared 17,280 men and 5,970 women who decreased their running distance with 4,632 men and 1,953 women who increased their running distance over a 7.7-year period.

He found that runners who decreased their distance from five to zero miles per week gained four times as much weight as those who decreased their distance from 25 to 20 miles per week.

He also found that people who started running after an exercise layoff didn"t lose weight until their mileage exceeded 20 miles per week in men, and 10 miles per week in women.

''My findings suggest that an effective public health policy for preventing weight gain may need to include a strategy to keep physically active people active,'' remarked Williams.

My study also underscored the importance of avoiding start-stop exercise patterns. Exercise designed to prevent obesity may fall short of its benefits if the exercise is irregular, seasonal, or often interrupted.

''We are getting fat because we don"t exercise sufficiently and consistently. The real solution to the obesity epidemic is getting people to exercise before they think they need it, and to stick with it, Williams said.

''The ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure,'' he added.