Seriously obese benefit from small amount of exercise

A little exercise goes a long way toward helping severely obese individuals improve their quality of life and complete important daily tasks, according to researchers at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.

In a pre-programme assessment where patients reported, on average, just under one hour of exercise per week, individuals who were more active reported better overall-quality of life. They also reported improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks as measured on a physical functioning scale.

Physical functioning and quality of life at the levels of obesity in this study meant being able to get up off a chair and to tie shoelaces. Participants reported an improvement in physical symptoms such as feeling short of breath when walking about and up and down stairs.