Research
Energy balance
High-frequency aerobic exercise (up to 180 min/week) during maintenance does not significantly improve long-term weight loss compared to lower exercise levels, likely due to adherence difficulties.
Do not aim for extreme exercise volumes (like 3 hours a week) if you struggle to maintain them. High exercise doses are hard to sustain long-term and may lead to feelings of failure. Focus on moderate, consistent activity that you can maintain year-round, rather than high-intensity regimens that you might quit.
GoodRefutesMEDIUM confidence
However, the higher amounts of self-reported aerobic exercise were not accompanied by significantly greater mean weight losses, and the higher exercise levels were not maintained at the 12- and 18-month follow-ups.
Why this rating
RCT data, but self-reported exercise adherence is the metric.
Source
Effects of four maintenance programs on the long-term management of obesity.
Michael G. Perri et al. · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · 1988
DOI 10.1037/0022-006x.56.4.529
rct · n=123Cited 306×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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