THE THING IS...

Your 30-second guide to everything Exercise, Not Diet

What:

Humans are addicted to comparisons, and therefore the whole ‘diet v exercise, which is better?’ debate is certainly not new. However, recently, the main focus has been around what we eat, with a whole lot of confusion, at least in the public mind, around ‘health’ and ‘weight loss’. So, now the experts are separating these out. Right now, the spotlight is increasingly falling on the exercise side of the equation. Put simply, if you can’t be perfect, then it’s better to be fat and fit than slim and lazy.

Why:

Because the answer matters. Many of us don’t have the time, energy or resources to go all-out on both — we need to know where to put our efforts.

Why Now:

Because it was time for a change, natch, but also because the results of various studies, conducted in Australia, Denmark, and across the US, are starting to emphasis the importance of exercise in a large range of diseases. These include — diabetes, cancer, arthritis, heart disease and stroke. Doing exercise burns calories, increases blood flow, delivers oxygen and nutrients to vital organs and tissues, and also boosts ‘good’ cholesterol levels.

How:

However you like: Walk, run, lift weights, swim, dance, turn cartwheels. What matters more is ‘how much?’ and there, the answer is very encouraging. Just 25 minutes a day of brisk walking is enough to show benefits — more is better.

Who:

The workout warriors who are tired of shouting about the benefits of exercise. Celebs, including Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez, who claim to favour breaking a sweat over dieting.