How to Cut Back on Exercise
Light exercisers who quit cold turkey for a bit — rather than just scaling back — have a much harder time dropping the weight they gain during the break.
Better Than Nothing
Lighten up on exercise and you may gain a bit. But do nothing, or close to it, and things get much worse. When exercisers in a recent study slacked off, they gained exponentially more weight the closer they got to zero exercise. And here’s the kicker: The research also suggested that a prolonged hiatus produces weight gain that can’t be reversed by simply going back to your old routine. You have to do more. Yikes. So even if it feels strange to do less — like walking 1 mile instead of 3 or 4 — remind yourself that it’s infinitely better than doing nothing.
Walk Out On Your Favorite Exercise
There’s a lot to be said for being faithful to one thing. But not when it comes to this: exercise.
So don’t just walk. Hop, skip, jump, and gallop, too! Doing more than four different activities a week protects your brain as well as your body.
Your Brain on Exercise
And the rewards will be sweet, not just sweaty. In a study of more than 3,000 people 65 and older, those who engaged in four or more physical activities a week were less likely to develop dementia than those who did one or none (assuming they hadn’t inherited a gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease). Being active defends your brain in half a dozen ways — from keeping your neurons sharp to releasing mind-enhancing hormones
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