How much exercise is enough?
Asked by bclements256 on Jun 15, 2009
in Fitness
How much exercise is enough to promote weight loss? It seems that when I perform exercise for a hour or more, I gain.
Answer
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio activity on most days and strength-training at least 2 days a week. An activity is moderate if your heart beats noticeably faster. Examples include walking briskly (4 miles per hour), light snow shoveling and biking at a casual pace. To lose weight and maintain, some people need to exercise for 60 (even 90!) minutes on most days. To prevent weight gain when exercising, strength-train with light weights and more reps to avoid bulking up, and eat some carbohydrate and protein within 30 minutes of completing your workout.
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