Social Workout

Web of Accountability

The More You Log On, The More Weight You Keep Off

New research shows that the web is a remarkably useful tool for helping people keep off pounds. In a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, 348 participants were signed up for a website that prompted them to record their weight, their minutes of exercise, and the number of days they kept a food diary. The individuals who used the website the most consistently over two years kept off the most weight. The actual site used in the study was only a test site and isn't available, but the study authors recommend sites that "encourage accountability," and offer "interactive features." And we're not just saying that because we're a website that does those things...

Online & Video

Scientific

Even Tiny Exercise Increments Make a Difference

So maybe you were one of the many who panicked over that study suggesting people had to work out an hour a day, every day, for the rest of their lives, or face steady weight gain. But fear not! A new study at the Harvard School of Public Health shows that just a little bit of biking and brisk walking goes a long way. The study looked at more than 18,000 women over a 16-year period and found that biking, even as little as five minutes each day, and brisk walking, averaging about 30 minutes a day, worked wonders for weight control. Biking was particularly good. "More bicycling predicts less weight gain...The more time women spent bicycling, the better," says the author's lead study. 

Scientific

Sixty Minutes Of Exercise a Day, For Life

"If you want to exercise for weight control, it's 60 minutes a day...It's a large amount of activity. If you're not willing to do a high amount of activity, you need to curtail your calories a lot."

—Dr. I-Min Lee, lead author of a new study that says women should exercise 60 minutes, every day, if they want to maintain their weight over their lifetime, without dieting.