Didn't we already know this?

Maybe they should stop telling people to get "moderate" exercise, and instead tell them to workout as hard as they can for intervals, with resting in between, mixing weights/resistance and aerobic activity. For women, especially because they are generally naturally low in testosterone levels, lifting weights (at increasing amounts) would likely produce the breakthrough that many of these women need, it would increase their metabolism, bone density, percentage of muscle, and allow them to compensate for aging. Walking just won't cut it. They never tell you that; hence the hopeless feeling many of these women feel.

This is a little self serving, but maybe helpful for those that would like to add saftey and fun into their fitness routine. We just kicked off this product not to long ago. On the link below is a press release and my story of fitness. Again it may be self serving, but I think we can make fitness fun for a lot of people. On our home page you'll see the benefits of skating fitness. The links for skating fitness are many.

http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?z=0&a=2384
Thank you

How appropriate that I passed on going to the gym today since this is exactly what I feel--I can workout and workout(running, biking, body pump, rowing) and track calories to the point of eating under my daily alotment everyday and the weight stays the same. I'm 48 and not overweight but those couple of pounds seem to be adding on every year and they will not come off unless I drop my intake to almost nothing. Of course, then I don't have energy to do anything. I eat well and always watch the fat content, drink low/no calorie drinks and limit alcohol and carbs in the evening. I used to consistantly stay the weight I was in my 20's without eating well but that is in the past. Now if I indulge on a weekend, the pound shows up in 2 days but is almost impossible to take off. And menopause will make it all much worse. I believe I can maintain at 1000 calories per day but try eating that and feeling satisfied. Something is so wrong with this picture..

Well look on the bright side, y'all - you have to choose between your face and your body. Too little fat, and wrinkles look deeper - but your body will be slimmer, and too much fat, and your face will fill in nicely, but then again, so will your body. I choose 'face' - you can cover your body in elegant clothing, the way many older European women do by accentuating the positive, but you can't cover your face... (well, in most social circles...) :)

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Some of the studies that get reported are so lame - and I bet they all use grant money.

Being pressed for time, I decided to buy exercise equipment and have it at home to use without having to go to the gym. I can fit in a lot more esercise this way.

It's important to have ways to keep it from being boring.

I have DVD's of walks through many places in Europe, Sorrento, Rivaldi, Cottswald England, Rome, etc. I can stay on the treadmill longer and go faster if I have somthing to watch to keep my mind off the treadmill itself.

I don't have space for a weight machine (but I do have a treadmill and a rower) so I got dumb bells up to 25 pounds. It's not much, but it's a start. Besides I'm pushing a whole lot more than 25 pounds just doing push ups!

I'm not svelt by any means, but I'm keeping the grim reeper at bay.

Interval training works very well for me. I'm 43 and I still weigh the same that I did in my 20's. But I'm in much better shape. I exercise regularly 5/6 days a week. I find that incline hills really give me a workout. I can't stand treadmills, but I love walking/running outdoors and finding the most challenging incline route.

This article does a disservice to every woman by not mentioning the chief cause of age-related weight gain -- the loss of muscle mass. As women age they lose muscle. Muscle mass is the basis for your metabolism. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn in a day. The best way to fight age-related weight gain is to introduce moderate weight training into your exercise program. This can be as little as 2-3 times per week. As a former personal trainer, I saw great results with my female clients in their 50 and 60s by focusing on building muscle. For the women who worry that weight training will cause them to look like body builders, it won't. You'll just end up looking nicely toned and feeling more strong and confident. At 30, I weigh the same as I did in my teens by eating healthy foods and following an exercise regimen that includes a mix of cardio exercise and weight training, but the dirty little secret is that I actually exercise less than one hour per day.

When I read through the article, they mentioned a couple of women who worked out twice a week for an hour . . . and they think they are going to lose weight?! We women need to get smarter and more aggressive with exercise and eating habits. If we are serious about working out, we need to commit to at least an hour a day of intense workout (means you sweat) with weights and stop all the "diet" propaganda. Diet is just another four letter word. Our diets should consist of organic, minimally processed whole grain foods, healthy oils, raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, fish and minimal amounts of meats. Anything with the word diet should be avoided -- usually contains dangerous chemicals or other harmful ingredients. I'm a middle-aged woman and find that many of the women I work out with do so with minimal committment to working out and making serious changes in their eating habits. They talk (a lot) about wanting to change, but most don't understand the commitment that must be made to effect real change. We live in a fast food society and want everything fast and easy -- maintaining a healthy weight is not a fast and easy process. It requires serious long-term commitment and hard work daily. We need to remember that as we age, maintaining strong muscles is so very important to bone density and overall body mechanics. Exercise also helps lubricate the joints and pain in the joints can be reversed with the right diet and exercise -- I know because I used to have terribly painful knees and now, after strengthening the glutes, I can squat again. I wish more articles would focus on the benefits of exercise and organic minimally processed foods instead of all of the pharmaceuticals available to fix whatever ails you.

The article is no surprise, as we age it takes more work to keep the weight off. The body's metabolism is much slower and needs a kick from exercise or nutrition to help it burn calories as it did when you were twenty years old. It does take a bit of time to get the results most people are looking for, but persistence pays off. A helpful tip is to add support garments such as Body Magic garments to wear on special occasions such as dinners, weddings, class reunions, church, etc. It drops you two to three dress sizes immediately. You see results immediately, and it inspires you to continue your weight loss goals. Adding occasional nutritional supplements will help you get to your goal a bit faster, and maintain it. You should consult with your appropriate health professional on any matter relating to their health and well-being. So many people have been helped by this product, that it absolutely must be shared. Check it out www.bodymagicamerica.com

I can relate so much to this article. I am 55 and always use to be under weight most of my life, never watched what I ate until I started putting on the weight and could not lose it. Now I have cut out most fast foods, no pastires or soda drinks and I contuine to gain weight, esecpically around the waist. It takes all of my effort to walk an hour a day and I have now started using bar bells. I hate going to the doctors office now and getting on the scale. Some of my favorite dresses I can't wear now. I know I am in menopause and that is one contributed factor. It just seems like I will never be at the weight I should be at for my height again.

It is not hard to be skinny. If it were the majority of the world wouldn't be able to pull it off daily, without even trying. Just move to the third world and be poor, you'll be skinny in no time.

I see alot of people in the gym sitting on bikes and reading romance novels, barely pedaling. I personally know of a person that thought it was gross to sweat and thought it was weird that I had to wipe sweat off my arms and face. I know that just because I'm sweating doesn't mean I'm working harder than anyone but I would at least think you should work up a sweat to guage that your working hard enough to make a difference! Many people when they are just starting out trying to get fit may not know that your aim is to get your heart rate up. I think some of them think if you just stride along on the eliptical for 30 minutes that really did something. I actually have to break a sweat and push myself to wear I'm breathing hard and sweating to some extent before it seems to make any difference. It's not supposed to be easy, its not supposed to be like a walk in the park. Also, I am suprised at the person that says they aren't losing weight and they cut down on carbs and alcohol in the evenings??? I think they should be cutting out ALL alcohol or at least on have it once a week and I stay away from most carbs period! I do think that most people just don't know what they should or should not be doing and I think you only figure it out after you've tried and failed a few times and you decide to start doing research. Then you start to piece together how it all works! I think drinking alcohol and eating carbs is the equivelent of eating a candybar!

Just because your on a treadmill for an hour doesn't mean your getting fit. Most peoples workouts lack intensity and variety and are only one dimensional. Explosive movements increase already low testosterone levels in women especially after having children.

In the end, its not about what you do in the gym. Its about what you do outside of the gym and your regular workouts. Society has moved towards a sedentary lifestyle toppled with over eating of processed foods. Thats No Bueno!

Very good point, nutgrape. Plus, what food there is in a third world country is not shot full of fat building estrogens and antibiotics, or processed and loaded with salt and chemical preservatives, and "flavor enhancers" till it is unrecognisable. Our ancestor's daily lives were much more physical than our lives today, plus their food was more plain and less adulterated with additives.

I do agree, however, that we all should exercise more, or harder when we do it.

We should all know this by now, and how much did this redundant study cost anyway? If you're not expending more calories than you take in, you will gain weight, regardless of exercise choice.

So..... if you want to lose weight you not only have to exercise more, but also eat less? Wow! I'm so glad someone finally thought of something like this! This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing. We need to shout this revolutionary, groundbreaking concept from the rooftops. Maybe doctors can start giving this advice to patients as well. /sarcasm

I managed to lose ten pounds a month last summer following this idea and still managed to enjoy my goodies and junk food as well. (Moderation and actually following the serving size were vital, though, big shock) An hour of walking every weekday and a few nights a week ~20 min of light exercise and lifting weights. I've still kept the smaller portions and got some walking in when I could over the winter and my weight even survived the Thanksgiving-Christmas calorie overload. So, not really that hard if you're able to actually commit to it. Want to exercise? Play your favorite music. Guess what happens then? You'll be able to keep going and stay at it. I like the tours videos idea posted earlier. Otherwise I keep the TV off if the program is going to take too much of my attention and stick with 3 CDs on shuffle on my stereo.

I don't like to sweat either. With my oily skin, I feel really nasty after only a few minutes. I also have other things that I enjoy instead of sports, most happened to be sedentary. So, combine that with a body shape that is naturally like a fireplug (even when I was in my teens and weighed a "healthy" weight), 5 kids worth of body fat that didn't come off even with breatfeeding and exercise and a good diet and the fact that I really think exercise is BORING and you have a recipe ofr creeping pounds.

I admire the people that can stick to exercise regimen and find satisfaction in doing so. Even better if you enjoy sports and going to the gym. But for those of us that never liked it (think of those kids that hated gym day) and would rather read a great book to exercise their mind, telling us to go to the gym or work out until we sweat for and hour a day is a bit more of a stretch for us.

So, I challenge all these scientists to figure out how I can make this more palatable. And for those of you saying right now that I just need to do it and stop griping, I challenge you to do something you really hate to do for an hour every day, something you know will improve your mind but not your body (I don't know, read through all of the Charles Dickens canon?) and see if you stick with it.

Just as certain body types have an easier time with weight control, certain minds have it easier with more scholarly pursuits. What we need is a way to make what doesn't come easy to us worth the extra effort we need to put in just to get started.

You know what? I am 64 years old, still work everyday (although office work). I am allowed to go to the gym everyday at lunch time and stay for an hour on company time. I consider myself fortunate to have such an option. I workout approx 4 days a week. (Sometimes not). I walk for 30 minutes and do weight training, situps, stretches and bends. I work out enough but I am not going to stress myself out about weight. At my age, if I overdo it, I am too sore to do anything the next day. Moderation is the key in all things. Reading a mag while you sit on a bike and dilly dally is a waste of time. On the other end of the spectrum, if you work out so hard that you cant move the next day is not the thing to do either. I think women today are to preoccupied with their weight. When you become obsessed with weight, I believe you tend to eat more. Eat well, (we all know that), have treats sometimes, laugh, enjoy life as best you can admid this world crisis and be thankful that you have food choices. Enjoy your food with good friends, play, have fun. That's what life is all about. While we are here, we might as well dance. We are a mist appearing for a little while, and then disappearing. Look at the big picture, go, enjoy!! By the way, I wear a size 14 and proud of it!

There is a third element to weight loss that nobody mentions. It's called inspiration. My metabolism soars through the roof when I'm inspired. I'm in love with a hot guy at my gym. My abs are rock hard. It is doe to diet, exercise, and hunger. I think of him, and I live with my hunger. As a result I you could wash your cloths on my stomach!

The point is, one must change one's diet. The standard American diet was used as the source here. The standard American diet is awful...waaaay too many calories and the wrong kind. Cutting calories, eating a balanced diet and exercise will help middle aged individuals, men or women, to loose weight. I know.

I'm 57, weighed 248 lbs in February of 2009. After changing my diet, and daily exercise I know weigh 151 lbs.

I haven't had anything from McDonalds or Burger King in that time, using Subway and Taco Bell in moderation for my fast food needs. Lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains along with good fats and lean meats.....

Weight can be lost. One just has watch what goes in the mouth and move more.

maybe The research "reinforces in a nice, clear way the idea of how unrealistic is the concept of what is a healthy weight in our society,".

I tried this in the 80's. I lost some weight but had to cut my volume of food way down. The only way I have been able to lose weight and then keep it off was a low carbo food plan (balanced and not high protein, lots of veggies - no flour or sugar) where all the food was weighed and measured. That did it like a charm!

I had a Dr tell me this about 10 yrs ago. I thought I was exercising quite a lot but when it came down to it it didn't add up to an hour a day. Even now when I belong to a gym it only adds up to about 4-5 hours a week at the most. He told every day I don't work out an hour, make it up the next day (by working out for 2).

So far I haven't been able to keep that up for a continued time, however I think it should work if I did it. That, added to the right amount of calories (for me 1200 -1400 a day) and limiting my fat grams ought to work, but like I said keeping up the combination on a permanent basis (which is what it takes) is not happening for me. I am too busy, and I have to admit there is some self discipline issues involved here too.