Softpedia >News >Science >Health
Softpedia Homepage   

Physical Exercises Are Not Underrated

The obese could benefit a lot from just a few minutes of workout per day

Oct 6, 2008 06:51 GMT  ·  By
A magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the abdominal cavity of an obese person, as opposed to that of a slimmer one - notice the 3 cm of fat
   A magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the abdominal cavity of an obese person, as opposed to that of a slimmer one - notice the 3 cm of fat

The lack of physical exercises in the severely obese has been linked to an overall degradation of the quality of their life, new studies show. Apparently, those who reported less than one hour of physical activity per week are more likely to experience symptoms like shortness of breath, irregular heart beats and the likes. Common daily tasks, such as changing clothes or tying shoe laces, often become very difficult, if not impossible to achieve.

  A recent survey ordered by the Duke Diet and Fitness Center (DDFC) on more than 1,200 obese people showed that those who exercised at least one hour per week or more said that they experienced an improved quality of life, both in terms of health and as regards the ability to perform common tasks. People who are affected by severe obesity find it difficult to do things slimmer people take for granted. According to Martin Binks, Ph.D., research director at DDFC and leader of this survey, the subjects that reported just minimum exercise times in a week were also the ones who said that they experienced relief and ease of movement.  

Binks says that the psychological factor is also very important in weight-related issues. For example, more than half of his test subjects reported a feeling of disappointment and defeat, when it came to dealing with their disease. "When you are 100 pounds overweight, as the average participant in our program is, people often feel defeated. They have trouble moving, and they think 'why bother'" he said.  

The importance of physical exercises has been stressed by doctors for many years, but most of those who are overweight seldom follow these pieces of advice. The inability to do things they usually would have had no problems doing weighs a lot on their mind and, when the feeling of incapacity sets in, they seldom take any action against it. As a result, very few obese ever start performing routine weekly exercises and thus give up any chance of improving the quality of their life. Most rely on pills, medical treatments or surgery to fix their problem, without any effort on their part.