Weighing the benefits: A new study shows weight training is more beneficial for keeping your waistline in check than aerobic exercise. Photo: Getty Images
In the coming weeks, many of us will find our thoughts turning to how best to shift the weight we’ve gained over Christmas.
For some that will mean joining the local gym, while others will dust off their trainers and take up running.
But which activity is best for getting rid of those extra pounds?
According to a new study, weight training is the most effective way of keeping abdominal fat in check, compared to other activities such as running or cycling.
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health measured the activity levels of over 10,000 men aged 40-plus, monitoring their weight and waist circumference over a 12-year period.
They found that those men who spent an extra 20 minutes a day weight training gained less abdominal weight over the course of the study than men who increased the amount of time they spent doing aerobic exercise.
Combining weight training with aerobic exerise led to even better results, the study found.
Frank Hu of Harvard School of Public Health said: “This study underscores the importance of weight training in reducing abdominal obesity, especially among the elderly.
“To maintain a healthy weight and waistline, it is critical to incorporate weight training with aerobic exercise.”
The Telegraph, London.