Obesity is a chronic disease that is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m².¹ Along with excess consumption of food, a sedentary lifestyle and low amounts of physical activity are key risk factors and causes of obesity.²

The Role of Physical Activity on Weight Loss 

Major organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Diabetes Association, and National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend physical activity as being a crucial part of any weight loss intervention.^3,4 Lifestyle changes including eating a healthy diet and engaging in physical activity are fundamental elements of achieving weight loss in individuals with obesity.^5,6 For improvement in fitness, prevention of weight regain, and increase in weight loss, at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity is suggested every week.⁷ For those seeking to lose clinically significant amounts of weight long-term, a minimum of 200 to 300 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity is recommended every week.

The Role of Physical Activity on Weight Loss Maintenance

Studies show that weight regain is common after weight loss due to various physiological mechanisms.⁸ Simply focusing on eating a hypocaloric diet can result in the loss of lean muscle mass and exacerbate physiological changes that fight against weight loss. Physical activity has an important function in preventing weight regain.⁴ Studies have demonstrated that physical activity is associated with long-term weight loss and moderate weight regain, allowing maintenance or even gain of muscle mass that help metabolism as well as allowing the consumption of more calories without significantly affecting total energy consumption.⁸ 

Metabolic Benefits of Physical Activity Regardless of Weight Loss

Numerous metabolic benefits are found to be associated with physical activity independent of weight loss or changes in BMI.^4,7,9 Epidemiological studies show that physical activity is associated with increased muscle mass, improved cardiorespiratory fitness, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Physical activity is also shown to improve biomarkers in individuals with obesity, including decreased arterial stiffness, improved insulin sensitivity, decreases in hemoglobin A1C, and improved lipid profiles. Additional studies have also observed that physical activity can transition metabolically unhealthy obese phenotypes into metabolically healthy obese phenotypes.⁹