The focal point of the study states that to maintain a healthy weight, particularly in middle age, one does not need to turn to the fancy gyms, exercise like a manic or exist entirely on wheat germ and brown rice ( low fat rice). All they need to do is to put in some time for brisk walks and cycling everyday.
This idea put forward by the study lies in the face of scientific belief that nothing short of rigorous exercise can help stave off obesity. The Harvard researchers acknowledged that one has to put a little extra effort and slow walking would not help. But they found that even biking as little as five minutes a day, as part of a commute, helped women gain less weight than non-bikers. Women who ramped up that biking to four hours a week were far more likely to maintain their weight compared to non-bikers.
The analysis tapped into the Nurses' Health Study II, following more than 18,000 women for 16 years.
Obesity has been rising in U.S. over decades and over the last decade or so it has gained momentum. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented these statistics and displays this alarming trend through the use of an animated U.S. map, showing how obesity was nearly non-existent in 1985 but is now affecting over 30 percent of the population
Specific comparisons were made by the researchers between America and Netherlands where obesity affects only about 8 percent of the population. They stated that over a quarter of the Dutch population bikes regularly, usually to work or to school in dedicated biking lanes. In the United States, only 0.5 percent of commuters use bikes.
The research also has three other significant implications which are not printed in the report. Biking and brisk walking are easier on the knees compared with jogging, making it an easier proposition for the middle aged and over weight people. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report last week stating that gaining 20 pounds or more after age 50 can triple the risk for diabetes.
Moreover the cost of a bike is pretty less and can be recovered by saving the bus fares and other commuting charges. Walking is free. So both these exercises are ideal for even those who could not afford fancy gyms.
