what are the facts about fitness?

Only 10% of people succeed in losing weight through only dietary changes. If weight loss is your goal, combining an exercise regimen with a balanced diet is the best way to shed pounds—and keep them off. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 89% of people who combine diet and exercise successfully lost weight and maintained their new weight for a year, compared to 10% of people who used diet changes alone.
People who don’t exercise regularly can lose 80% of their strength by age 65. Muscle loss due to aging naturally starts happening once you pass age 30. Without exercise, you’ll lose from 3%-5% of your muscle mass per decade.
Regular exercise improves your mental health. Studies conducted at Harvard’s School of Public Health showed a 15- minute run each day reduces risk of depression by 26%. It can also reduce anxiety and stress, and even have a positive impact on conditions like PTSD and ADHD.
The endorphins released during exercise give you an energy boost. Logically, you might think you’d feel more tired after exercising. Physically, that’s often true, but anyone who’s experienced a runner’s high can tell you it also gives you a boost. This is due to endorphins, brain chemicals that decrease pain perception and increase positive feelings, making you feel energized overall.
A skinny person isn’t necessarily healthier than a larger person. Associating weight with health is a dangerous myth that we have culturally bought into. While obesity is often linked to health problems like diabetes and heart disease, the truth is there’s no one right BMI for everybody. You can do as much harm to your body by being too thin as you can by being overweight. True health is the result of a balanced diet and sufficient exercise, not the number on the scale.
The best time to exercise is 2to3 hours after eating. If you’ve eaten within an hour of starting your exercise, you won’t burn as much fat. Instead, your body will get most of its energy from the carbohydrates in your stomach. While you have to be careful working out on an empty stomach to avoid faintness and weakness, it’s a much better idea for weight loss.
Heavy workouts in the morning can compromise your immune system. A light jog or yoga session can be a great way to start your day, but you should save the serious training for late afternoon or early evening.
Sitting is not the new smoking. This trendy catchphrase was based on a single study from 2010 that suggested higher mortality for those who sit more than 6 hours a day. The reality is more complex, however. An excessively sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of chronic diseases, but not nearly as much as smoking does. What you’re doing while you’re sitting matters, too. Working at a computer burns more calories and keeps your metabolism running better than just watching TV, for example.
It only takes 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity to see cardiovascular benefits. That breaks down to less than 30 minutes a day—something everyone has time for. What activity counts as moderate? Anything that gets your heart beating, like a brisk walk or even heavy cleaning. A good rule of thumb is that you should still be able to talk, but not to sing.
You’re never too old to benefit from exercise. Some people think working out is just for the young, but the truth is it becomes even more important the older you get. About 75% of elderly Americans don’t get enough physical activity, and this contributes to a range of health problems associated with aging.