Hitting the gym is a better way to trim down than agonizing over portion size.
Those who exercise tend to be stronger, have more muscle mass, and an increased aerobic capacity. Dieters, however, tend to lose muscle mass and strength.
"If push comes to shove and somebody wants to know if they should diet or exercise to lose weight, I would suggest exercise, provided they are willing to put in the extra time and effort and not offset the gains they make by eating more," said study lead author Edward Weiss, a researcher at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences.
Hitting the gym is a better way to trim down than agonizing over portion size, a new study suggests.
Although the ultimate goal of using more energy than what you ingest can be achieved with dieting or exercise, working out has more perks.
Those who exercise tend to be stronger, have more muscle mass, and an increased aerobic capacity. Dieters, however, tend to lose muscle mass and strength.
"If push comes to shove and somebody wants to know if they should diet or exercise to lose weight, I would suggest exercise, provided they are willing to put in the extra time and effort and not offset the gains they make by eating more," said study lead author Edward Weiss, a researcher at Saint Louis University's Doisy College of Health Sciences.
Weiss and his colleagues studied 34 people between the ages of 50 and 60 who were in the high end of normal weight or overweight. Of the participants, 18 dieted while 16 exercised.
Read more of “Exercise Trumps Diet for Weight Loss" and discuss it on the IHRSA Wellness Report.
About Lifestyle Family Fitness: Lifestyle Family Fitness was founded in Lakeland, Florida in 1982 and currently owns and operates locations in the Florida market, Ohio and now in North Carolina with approximately 180,000 members. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) currently ranks Lifestyle as one of the top 25 fastest growing fitness companies in the world. All of the Lifestyle facilities include a variety of fitness equipment, group fitness classes, personal training, childcare and related amenities that help “Bring Your Body To Life
®.” Investment partners include Quantum Capital Partners, Inc., Ballast Point Ventures and The Burton Partnership. Lifestyle’s corporate headquarters is located at 140 Fountain Parkway, Suite 410, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716. To learn more about Lifestyle, please call (727) 456-3100 ext. 4337 or visit
www.lff.com.