Statement Highlights:<\/p>\n
\n\tRegular physical activity improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with overweight or obesity, independent of weight loss, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
\n\tPhysical activity is an essential part of effective obesity treatment, likely adding health benefits even with weight-loss medications or surgery, strengthening results when used alongside today\u2019s treatments.
\n\tLong\u2011term success with weight loss depends on team\u2011based support, with clinicians and other health professionals helping people build and maintain realistic health habits.
<\/p>\n
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT\/5 a.m. ET, Monday, June 1, 2026<\/p>\n
DALLAS, June 1, 2026 \u2014 With obesity<\/a> now affecting more than 40% of U.S. adults and fueling rising rates of heart disease<\/a>, a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association calls for a comprehensive treatment approach that puts physical activity<\/a> front and center. The statement, Role of Physical Activity in Obesity Treatment and Cardiometabolic Health, published today in Circulation<\/a>, the Association\u2019s flagship, peer\u2011reviewed journal.<\/p>\n The statement underscores that regular physical activity improves blood pressure<\/a>, insulin sensitivity<\/a>, cholesterol<\/a> levels and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with overweight or obesity, independent of weight loss. These findings support the need for exercise as a critical component to any weight loss strategy, including medications or surgery<\/a>, because physical activity offers important cardiometabolic health benefits in its own right.<\/p>\n \u201cDoctors and health professionals often focus on weight loss to help people lower their risk of heart disease. There are certainly health benefits from weight loss, especially when it\u2019s sustained long-term. However, encouraging physical activity should always be an important part of that care plan, as it can support both weight loss and long-term maintenance,\u201d said Damon L. Swift, Ph.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer and chair of the writing group for the scientific statement and an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. \u201cPhysical activity delivers powerful heart and metabolic health gains even when the scale doesn\u2019t move. These benefits are especially important because many people with overweight or obesity already have cardiovascular risk factors.\u201d<\/p>\n How much exercise do I need?<\/p>\n \u201cFor most people, cardio exercise without changing your diet is unlikely to result in a large amount of weight loss. Dietary changes remain the primary driver of weight loss,\u201d Swift said. \u201cHowever, physical activity plays a powerful supporting role when combined with other treatments, including healthy eating, weight loss medications or surgery. Exercise can help people lose a little more weight, preserve important lean mass \u2014 especially with resistance exercise \u2014 and improve overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n Swift said when people lose weight by cutting calories, they often lose muscle, too. Studies show that adding exercise to dietary weight loss helps people preserve more muscle compared with dieting alone. Strength or resistance training appears especially effective, particularly for middle-aged and older adults. Eating at least the recommended daily amount of protein also helps the body maintain muscle while losing fat. Keeping muscle isn\u2019t just about strength, it helps with mobility, metabolism, and blood sugar control.<\/p>\n On its own, exercise usually does not lead to clinically meaningful weight loss unless people are able to be active for very long periods each week.<\/p>\n
According to the American Heart Association\u2019s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics<\/a>, most people in the U.S. are not getting an adequate amount of physical activity for any health benefits, much less weight loss.<\/p>\n
The American Heart Association recommends that adults achieve a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity. To maximize health outcomes, these aerobic guidelines should be paired with muscle-strengthening activities of at least moderate intensity on two or more days per week. Adherence to these physical activity levels with significant improvements in heart disease risk factors and a marked reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.<\/p>\n Why do I have to keep exercising after I reach my goal weight?<\/p>\n Swift said maintaining weight loss is often more difficult than achieving it. The statement highlights strong evidence that high levels of consistent physical activity \u2014 often 200 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity\u2014 are associated with long\u2011term weight\u2011loss maintenance and that is considerably more than the 150 minutes per week recommended by the American Heart Association<\/a> for cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n However, if you cannot reach those levels, it is still beneficial to maintain a regular schedule with some exercise and stay as active as you can. Doing any physical activity is much better than doing nothing.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of the health benefits achieved from weight loss may be reversed if the weight is gained back,\u201d he said. \u201cPhysical activity can not only help maintain weight loss, it also may protect cardiovascular health even if some weight regain occurs, helping preserve earlier improvements in blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.\u201d<\/p>\n What does successful treatment of obesity look like?<\/p>\n \u201cAs with any major medical issue, treatment of obesity should be individually tailored to a person\u2019s specific needs and usually requires a comprehensive, multipronged approach that\u2019s best achieved with guidance from a health professional,\u201d Swift said. \u201cNot only does this support individual accountability, but just as you wouldn\u2019t likely treat high blood pressure or diabetes on your own, optimal results in treating obesity will come from a collaboration with your clinician and health care team.\u201d<\/p>\n Because long\u2011term success depends on ongoing support, the statement emphasizes the role of clinicians and health care professionals to help people address obesity by setting realistic goals, staying motivated and using evidence-based approaches including medications or surgery, counseling and digital tools. Treatment plans should consider strong physician-patient communication, comprehensive medical assessments and plans for follow-up care.<\/p>\n The statement highlights the 5A model as one option to successfully encourage regular physical activity participation:<\/p>\n
Incorporating physical activity into an obesity treatment plan may include a wide range of options:<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the known benefits of physical activity, many people face challenges being active, including time constraints and limited access to safe or convenient ways to move during daily routines. Addressing these barriers can help support healthier habits over time,\u201d said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women\u2019s Health and senior vice president of women\u2019s health at Northwell Health in New York City. \u201cThe American Heart Association supports evidence-based public health policies that integrate physical activity assessment, prescription and referral into health care delivery and help make physical activity easier and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Research shows that safe community design, opportunities for activity in schools<\/a> and in the workplace<\/a>, along with access to active transportation<\/a> can all increase daily movement and support long-term cardiovascular and metabolic health.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor many people, lasting weight loss can feel out of reach. When movement is added as part of obesity care, it not only supports weight loss goals, but improves key health risk factors,\u201d Swift said. \u201cPhysical activity should be prescribed and prioritized for its cardiovascular and metabolic benefits in obesity treatment. Exercise can help you be healthier even if you don\u2019t lose weight.\u201d<\/p>\n This scientific statement was prepared by a volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Hypertension;<\/p>\n and Stroke Council. American Heart Association scientific statements promote greater awareness about cardiovascular diseases and stroke issues and help facilitate informed health care decisions. Scientific statements outline what is currently known about a topic and what areas need additional research. While scientific statements inform the development of guidelines, they do not make treatment recommendations. American Heart Association guidelines provide the Association\u2019s official clinical practice recommendations.<\/p>\n Co-authors are Leanna M. Ross, Ph.D., FAHA, Vice Chair; Deepika R. Laddu, Ph.D., FAHA;<\/p>\n Molly B. Conroy, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA; Charles A. German, M.D., M.S., FAHA; Lorraine S. Evangelista, Ph.D., R.N., FAHA; Francoise A. Marvel, M.D.; and Gerald J. Jerome, Ph.D., FAHA. Authors\u2019 disclosures are listed in the manuscript.<\/p>\n The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content and policy positions. Overall financial information is available\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n More than 8 in 10 (82%) U.S. adults say they are confident in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health, according to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll<\/a>. The Association ranked second only to an individual\u2019s personal health care provider. <\/p>\n Additional Resources:<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n About the American Heart Association <\/p>\n The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public\u2019s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.<\/p>\n For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173<\/p>\n Cathy Lewis: cathy.lewis@heart.org<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)<\/p>\n heart.org<\/a> and stroke.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Statement Highlights:
Regular physical activity improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":477313,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[4760,96297,205830,205828,1348,205831,103,89886,61,60,184586,94968,205829,2114,40482],"class_list":["post-477312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-american-heart-association","tag-bariatric-surgery","tag-body-weight-maintenance","tag-damon-swift","tag-exercise","tag-glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonists","tag-health","tag-heart-disease-risk-factors","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-obesity-management","tag-obesity-treatment","tag-physical-activity-and-obesity","tag-weight-loss","tag-weight-loss-strategies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\tThe scientific statement highlights that exercise by itself rarely leads to any more than a 5% or more loss in body weight unless aerobic activity levels are quite high, at least 225\u2013420 minutes per week.
\n\tFewer than 15% of individuals reach a clinically significant amount of weight loss through exercise alone. Modest weight loss of around 3% (and less than 5%) of body weight is more achievable and does support some health benefits.
<\/p>\n
\n\tOnly 1 in 4 U.S. adults and 1 in 5 youths 6 to 17 years of age meet national recommendations for being physically active.
<\/p>\n
\n\tAssess: Uncover the individual\u2019s intention to engage in and knowledge of increased physical activity.
\n\tAdvise: Offer information to further the individual\u2019s understanding of approaches to incorporate regular physical activity into their day.
\n\tAgree: Collaborate on establishing SMART goals which are:
\n\t
\n\t\tSpecific,
\n\t\tMeasurable,
\n\t\tAchievable,
\n\t\tRelevant and
\n\t\tTime bound.
\n\t
\n\t
\n\tAssist: Collaborate on problem-solving and strategies to achieve a SMART goal.
\n\tArrange: Work on plans to review progress and to provide references for additional support.
<\/p>\n
\n\tAppropriate clinical interventions such as weight loss medication or surgery
\n\tReferrals to physiotherapists, physical therapists or exercise physiologists
\n\tConsultations with other auxiliary health care professionals such as nurses\/nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, health educators\/coaches or behavioral counselors
\n\tUse of technology including electronic health records, cost-effective pedometers and digital technologies such as mobile health applications and wearables (such as smartwatches or adhesive patches with sensors) for real-time monitoring to support or facilitate lifestyle changes.
<\/p>\n