Exercise doesn't really aid weight loss and sometimes makes it harder, science concludes [View all]

If you want to be healthy, you should exercise. But exercising probably isn't going to help you lose weight as much as you think it will.

This slap in the face of our long-held beliefs about health comes from medical science. Vox's Julia Belluz and Javier Zarracina read through more than 50 studies on the topic and have summarized their research in a valuable report.

The core issue is that our "basal metabolic rate" -- the energy that keeps our bodies functioning when at rest -- "accounts for 60 to 80 percent of total energy expenditure."

Writes Vox:

That leaves only 10 to 30 percent for physical activity, of which exercise is only a subset.

The implication here is that while your food intake accounts for 100 percent of the energy that goes into your body, exercise only burns off 10 to 30 percent of it. That's a pretty big discrepancy, and definitely means that erasing all your dietary transgressions at the gym is a lot harder than the peddlers of gym memberships make it seem.

This problem is compounded by the fact that when you exercise more, you tend to eat more. So, in a way, exercising can lead you to gain weight.

For all the details about the science and what it means, check out Belluz and Zarracina's blog, Show Me the Evidence.

To be clear, none of this means you should forgo an exercise routine. Being physically active offers innumerable benefits, from preventing cancer to improving mood. It just might not be a huge help when it comes to weight loss.
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http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2016/06/exercise_doesnt_really_aid_wei.html#incart_river_home