San Juan Regional Health

Maintaining a healthy body weight can promote health benefits such as lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, less stress on bones and joints, and less work for the heart. San Juan Regional Medical Center’s recent campaign launch, How to Prevent a Heart Attack includes maintaining a healthy body weight as one of the four steps.

Keeping extra weight off requires effort and commitment, just as losing weight does. Physical activity plays a vital role in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that even exercise that is not rigorous, such as walking and using stairs, has a positive effect.

Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week, and muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups on two or more days per week.