Browse the evidence

Meeting both aerobic (≥150 min/week) and muscle-strengthening (≥2 sessions/week) physical activity guidelines is associated with the lowest prevalence of chronic health conditions compared to meeting neither, only aerobic, or only muscle-strengthening guidelines.

To maximize protection against chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and depression, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) per week PLUS two days of muscle-strengthening activities (like resistance bands or bodyweight exercises). Doing both together offers significantly better health outcomes than doing just one.

Dietary interventions for sarcopenic obesity should prioritize increased protein intake (1-1.5 g/kg/day) and chronic (not acute) caloric restriction combined with resistance training to prevent muscle loss during weight loss.

For sarcopenic obesity, do not just cut calories. Eat 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily and engage in resistance training. This combination helps lose fat while keeping muscle, which is essential for metabolic health.

Regular physical activity, specifically moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking for 30 minutes daily, reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in elderly adults by approximately 15-20% compared to sedentary lifestyles.

Start by walking briskly for 30 minutes every day. You do not need to run or lift weights to get significant heart benefits. This simple habit can lower your risk of heart problems by up to 20% compared to sitting still. If you have existing conditions, consult your doctor to ensure this intensity is safe for you, but do not let fear of injury stop you from moving.

Beetroot juice supplementation improves cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability, which enhances blood flow, mitochondrial efficiency, and exercise economy, particularly in normoxic conditions.

If you are a trained endurance athlete, consuming beetroot juice providing 5-8 mmol of nitrate 2-3 hours before exercise may improve your efficiency and time to exhaustion, particularly in normal oxygen conditions. However, do not expect guaranteed results, especially if you are training at high altitude or consuming caffeine simultaneously, as these factors may negate the benefits.

Discontinuation of physical exercise during confinement is associated with weight gain, whereas maintaining or starting exercise is associated with weight loss.

Keep exercising or start moving if you haven't. Stopping exercise is linked to gaining about 1 kg, while continuing or starting helps you lose nearly 1 kg during confinement.

Use of a fully automated conversational AI health coach for weight loss produces weight loss and dietary improvements comparable to in-person lifestyle interventions, without requiring live human assistance.

If you are overweight or obese and struggle with access to dietitians or coaches, a fully automated AI health coach app can help you lose weight and eat healthier. The app works by having you log your meals, weight, and activity, and then receiving personalized, empathetic text-based feedback and coaching. You don't need to talk to a human; the AI guides you through goal-setting and behavior change strategies similar to in-person programs. Consistency is key: the more you engage with the app and log your meals, the more weight you are likely to lose.

Sprint Interval Training (SIT), a variant of HIIT involving near-maximal to 'all out' efforts, can improve endurance performance in highly trained athletes by enhancing fatigue resistance and durability.

For elite endurance athletes, adding short, maximal-effort sprints (SIT) to your regular training can improve your ability to sustain performance when fatigued. This is an advanced technique; ensure it is periodized correctly within your overall training plan to avoid overtraining. It is not for beginners.

Maintaining physical activity during home confinement or social isolation prevents rapid loss of muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness, and metabolic health, thereby reducing mortality risk and susceptibility to severe infection outcomes.

Do not let gym closures stop your exercise. Perform high-volume, low-to-medium intensity resistance exercises at home, aim for at least 5,000 steps daily, and use wearable tech to track progress. If you have chronic conditions, seek telemedicine supervision. Avoid exercising immediately before bed to protect sleep. Remember that even small amounts of activity are significantly better than none.

Lifestyle interventions, specifically the Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity, are the primary therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating metabolic syndrome by addressing modifiable risk factors such as obesity and insulin resistance.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet focusing on whole foods, healthy fats, and limited processed sugars and salts. Combine this with at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity. This is the foundational treatment for Metabolic Syndrome, often more effective than medication alone for long-term management.

A 5-day fast followed by a modified DASH diet significantly reduces 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure and body weight in patients with metabolic syndrome, effects that are sustained three months post-intervention and distinct from diet alone.

For patients with metabolic syndrome, a 5-day water/tea/broth fast followed by 3 months of a DASH-style diet offers superior blood pressure and weight reduction compared to diet changes alone. This intervention allows many patients to reduce or eliminate antihypertensive medication while maintaining controlled blood pressure.

Digital interventions (mobile apps, web-based platforms, and wearable sensors) effectively promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, including increased physical activity, improved dietary habits, and smoking cessation, primarily through mechanisms of self-monitoring, goal setting, and personalized feedback.

To use digital interventions effectively for lifestyle change, choose a platform that offers self-monitoring (like tracking steps or food) and provides personalized feedback. Ensure the tool is easy to use and fits your daily routine. Consistency is key; use features like reminders and goal-setting to maintain engagement over time.

A Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) is a safe and effective intervention for weight loss and metabolic improvement in patients with obesity and mild chronic kidney disease (Stage 2 CKD), without causing clinically relevant renal deterioration.

If you have obesity and mild kidney issues (Stage 2), a medically supervised VLCKD (450-800 calories, <20g carbs) is a safe and effective way to lose significant weight (~20%) without harming your kidneys. Ensure you take supplements and drink plenty of water.

Higher dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome, with cross-sectional studies showing a pooled odds ratio of 0.70 for highest versus lowest intake categories.

To lower your risk of metabolic syndrome, aim for higher dietary fiber intake. Evidence suggests that consuming more fiber, particularly soluble fiber from sources like oats and legumes, is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. While the evidence is strongest in cross-sectional studies, the consistent inverse association supports increasing fiber as a key dietary strategy.

Limiting sedentary behavior and replacing it with physical activity of any intensity, including light intensity, provides health benefits for adults living with disability.

Try to reduce the total time you spend with low energy expenditure, whether sitting or lying down. Replace this time with any amount of physical activity, even light movements. This substitution provides health benefits. Aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to help reduce the detrimental effects of high sedentary time.

Physical activity recommendations for the general population (60 minutes/day for youth, 150-300 min/week moderate or 75-150 min/week vigorous for adults) apply to people living with disability, with the caveat that activity should be appropriate to their specific condition and ability.

Aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity every day. Include vigorous activities and exercises that strengthen muscles and bones at least 3 days a week. If you are not meeting these recommendations, doing some physical activity will still bring health benefits. Start small and gradually increase.

Adults living with disability should undertake regular physical activity, including 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, plus muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.

Aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity (like running) each week. You can mix these. Also, do muscle-strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups at least 2 days a week. If you are not meeting these recommendations, doing some physical activity will still bring health benefits. Start small and gradually increase.

Chatbot interventions significantly increase total physical activity, daily steps, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to control conditions.

Use a chatbot app or platform that sends daily prompts or allows you to log your activity and diet. Look for tools that use goal-setting and feedback features. Consistency is key, even if the interaction is brief. This is a low-cost, accessible way to boost your daily movement and healthy eating habits.

Chatbot interventions significantly increase fruit and vegetable consumption, with text-based and AI/NLP-enabled chatbots being more effective than voice-based or non-AI chatbots.

Choose a chatbot that uses text or AI features for dietary tracking. Use it when you are shopping or preparing food to log your intake. This method is more effective for improving fruit and vegetable consumption than voice-only options.

Very Low Energy Diet (VLED) intervention (640 kcal/day for 12-16 weeks) significantly reduces disease activity in patients with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and obesity, with greater weight loss correlating to greater clinical improvement.

For patients with PsA and obesity, a medically supervised Very Low Energy Diet (approx. 640 kcal/day) for 3-4 months can significantly reduce joint pain, skin psoriasis, and inflammation. The greater the weight lost, the better the improvement in disease activity. This should be done while keeping current arthritis medications stable.

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and lifestyle interventions are the first-line treatment for adolescents with PCOS and obesity, aiming to restore ovulation and protect fertility by improving insulin resistance and metabolic function.

For teens with PCOS and obesity, the most important step is starting lifestyle changes immediately. This includes personalized dietary interventions and physical activity. The goal is to improve insulin sensitivity, which helps restore ovulation and protect future fertility. This is the recommended first step before considering medications.

Vigorous aerobic exercise (≥3 days/week, 30+ min, ≥60% VO2max) and combined resistance training improve insulin sensitivity and androgen levels in adolescents with PCOS.

Teens with PCOS should aim for at least 3 days of vigorous aerobic exercise (keeping heart rate at 60% of max) and 3 days of strength training per week. This combination is more effective for improving androgen levels than exercise alone.

Adopting a Mediterranean diet and maintaining adequate protein intake (1.1–1.2 g/kg/day) are essential public health strategies to prevent chronic diseases, sarcopenia, and functional decline in older adults.

To age healthily, prioritize a Mediterranean-style diet rich in plants, fish, and olive oil, and ensure you are eating enough protein—specifically 1.1 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of your body weight daily. This higher protein target is crucial for preventing muscle loss (sarcopenia) and maintaining your ability to live independently. Combine this with regular physical activity, including resistance and balance exercises, to support your physical and cognitive health.

Regular physical activity, including resistance, aerobic, and balance exercises, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline, and functional impairment in older adults.

Engage in regular physical activity tailored to your abilities. Include resistance training to build muscle, aerobic exercise for heart health, and balance activities to prevent falls. Even moderate activity like walking can significantly reduce the risk of dementia and chronic diseases, improving your quality of life.

Intermittent Energy Restriction (IER) produces weight loss and body fat reduction equivalent to Continuous Energy Restriction (CER) when total energy intake is matched, with some regimens showing superior fat loss due to better adherence.

If you struggle with daily dieting, try restricting calories significantly on 2 days a week and eating normally (but healthily) the other 5. You don't need to overeat on the free days; studies show people often naturally eat less on those days too. This approach yields the same weight loss as daily dieting but may be easier to stick to.