HIT THE GYM -Thoughts on Exercise from Dr. Brueck, MD

This is one in a series of blog messages presented periodically by Dr. Robert Brueck, MD, on the subject of health and well-being. Dr. Brueck is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon practicing in Cape coral and Fort Myers, FL. More information concerning the contribution cosmetic surgery makes to health can be found at Dr. Brueck's web site, Beauty-by-Brueck.com

"Hit the Gym"

Where have we heard this before? We all know the gym is good for us and can help prevent many diseases and keep our weight in check. There has always been an ongoing discussion concerning diets, fat, cellulite, Body Mass Index and exercise.

It all seems to change like the seasons.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that women need MORE EXERCISE. The current federal guidelines suggest 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Supposedly a woman needs that much to prevent heart disease and other medical conditions. BUT- to prevent weight gain women need 60 minutes a day, 7 days a week.

These were the results of a study done in 2002. The current researchers in the JAMA article looked at 34,079 women over a 15 year span with the ages being greater than 45 and the average being around 54. They tracked their activity “ another word for exercise”.

Women who exercise 60 minutes a day DID NOT GAIN WEIGHT, but that assumes the calorie count stays the same. IE: no banana cream pie and ice cream 5 days a week.

So there it is - sign up now and get your place in line for the treadmill or elliptical so you don’t put on the unwanted pounds and create an unsightly bulge around the mid section.