Research
Energy balance
Regular physical activity, including light-to-moderate leisure time activity, reduces the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.
You do not need to run marathons to improve your metabolic health. Incorporate regular, light-to-moderate activity like brisk walking into your day. While more intense exercise offers greater benefits, any increase in movement helps reduce your risk.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
even light-to-moderate leisure time physical activity (<7 kcal/min expended) was associated with a considerable reduction in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome
Why this rating
Supported by prospective studies (ATTICA, Whitehall, Nurses Health).
Source
Diet, Exercise and the Metabolic Syndrome
Christos Pitsavos et al. · The Review of Diabetic Studies · 2006
DOI 10.1900/rds.2006.3.118
narrative_reviewCited 172×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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