Weight management should combine healthy eating with regular physical activity. Regular physical activity helps maintain an optimal body weight and supports healthy bones, muscles, and joints. It also improves cardiopulmonary function and reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases.
- Start with Low-Impact Physical Activities
For people carrying extra body weight, it is advisable to start gradually and avoid activities involving running or repeated jumping if these cause discomfort. Consider activities such as brisk walking, stationary cycling, elliptical training, or water-based exercise.
According to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, walking is a safe and effective form of aerobic physical activity. It can help burn energy and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Resistance Exercise
In addition to aerobic physical activity, adults should perform muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or higher intensity that involve all major muscle groups. For weight management, two to three sessions per week can be a practical starting target.
Examples include using resistance machines, resistance bands, or body-weight exercises such as wall squats and sit-to-stand exercises. Greater health benefits can be achieved by gradually increasing the duration, frequency, or intensity of physical activity.
- Build Physical Activity into Daily Life
Physical activity can be incorporated into recreation, transportation, work, or household activities. Try getting off public transport one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way, choosing the stairs when appropriate, or standing up and moving around for a few minutes during long periods of sitting.
Common Misunderstanding About Weight Loss
Sweating heavily does not necessarily mean that more body fat is being burned. Sweat primarily helps the body cool down. For effective weight management and overall health benefits, the key factors are the duration, frequency, and intensity of physical activity, together with a balanced diet.
Adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, spread across 3 to 5 days, to achieve substantial health benefits. Avoid suddenly performing very vigorous exercise in a single session.
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