30 Minutes of Aerobic Exercise Weekly Cuts Body Fat in Adults With Overweight or Obesity

MONDAY, Dec. 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Among adults with overweight or obesity, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise per week is associated with moderate reductions in body weight, waist circumference, and body fat measures, according to a review published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Network Open.

Ahmad Jayedi, Ph.D., from Imperial College London, and colleagues examined the dose-response association of aerobic exercise with adiposity measures. A total of 116 randomized clinical trials involving 6,880 participants with overweight or obesity were included in the meta-analysis.

The researchers found that each 30 minutes per week of aerobic exercise was associated with reduced body weight (0.52 kg), waist circumference (0.56 cm), body fat percentage (0.37 percent), and the areas of visceral and adipose subcutaneous tissues (mean differences, −1.60 and −1.37 cm², respectively). Modestly increased physical and mental aspects of quality of life were seen in association with aerobic exercise (standardized mean difference, 1.69 and 0.74 standard deviation, respectively). Modestly increased mild-to-moderate adverse events were seen in association with aerobic exercise and were mostly musculoskeletal symptoms (risk difference, two more events per 100 participants). With increasing duration of aerobic exercise to 300 minutes per week, body weight, waist circumference, and body fat measures decreased linearly or monotonically; clinically important reductions in waist circumference and body fat resulted from aerobic exercise lasting 150 minutes per week at moderate-to-vigorous intensities.

“Our results suggest that aerobic training exceeding 150 minutes per week at moderate intensity or greater may be needed to achieve associations with clinically important reductions,” the authors write.

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