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Cold water immersion (a.k.a., “ice baths”) has become a popular method amongst exercise enthusiasts and athletes to enhance recovery after an intense training bout. The strategy involves exposing either the trained limb or the whole body to very cold liquid temperatures. According to p...

Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D, C.S.C.S., is an internationally renowned fitness expert and widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on body composition training (muscle development and fat loss). He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, and has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles.

Fitness

May 10, 2010

Can You Be Fit and Fat?

Is it possible to be fit if you’re fat? A study by Weinstein et al. (2008) sheds some light on the issue. The study investigated the relationship between being overweight/obese (as measured by BMI) and indices of cardiovascular health in over 38,000 middle-aged and older women. Results showed that the overweight/obese subjects who were physically active significantly reduced their risk of coronary heart disease, with greater levels of physical activity associated with an greater reduction in risk. Sounds good, right? Not so fast…

Unfortunately, women who were overweight/obese showed an increase risk for coronary heart disease regardless of physical activity compared to lean women. These results held true even in those who engaged in high levels of exercise. What’s more, the study didn’t consider other health issues associated with obesity, such as cancer, metabolic disorders, and joint disease.

The bottom line is that just because you exercise doesn’t give you Carte Blanche to eat whatever you want. Exercise certainly will make you “fitter” if you’re fat, but the excess weight poses a health risk no matter how active you are. Regardless of activity levels, you still need to watch your waistline!

Stay Fit!

Brad

Weinstein AR, Sesso HD, Lee IM, Rexrode KM, Cook NR, Manson JE, Buring JE, Gaziano JM. The joint effects of physical activity and body mass index on coronary heart disease risk in women. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Apr 28;168(8):884-90