Most of us are time challenged these days. Between our jobs, our kids, our pets and our partners, it can become extremely difficult finding time and staying motivated to maintain our fitness levels. Well, here’s some motivation for you.
According to a study conducted by Paul Williams at Berkeley Lab’s Life Sciences Division, and published in the Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, for women running distances above 10 miles per week, the weight gained by running fewer miles were approximately the same as weight lost by running more. However, women running 5 or fewer miles per week, gained four times as much weight as those who decreased their mileage from 25 to 20 miles per week!
In other words, women who don’t run as many miles per week face an uphill battle when returning from a hiatus in their exercise regimen.
Williams’ findings seem to suggest that consistency may be the most important factor of all when it comes to maintaining healthy weight; so stopping and starting an exercise regimen is in some ways worse than not starting at all!
Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone is cut out to be a long distance runner, nor am I saying that if you can’t put in 20 miles a week that you might as well not bother. The point is that exercise, whether it be intense or moderate, should also be consistent if it is to be effective in terms of weight control and the prevention of diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Mmmm...somehow I think that next time I curse my alarm clock for going off at 5:30 AM, I'm gonna think twice and force my butt out of bed!
