Exercise for Body Fat Health

Exercise can improve the health of your body fat, even without weight loss. Moderate- and high-intensity continuous training over 12 weeks improves fat tissue structure and does so in ways that boost metabolism and reduce inflammation, according to research published in The Journal of Physiology (2022; 600 [9], 2127–46).

University of Michigan researchers spent 3 months studying the effects of exercise on people with obesity. They found structural changes in the fat tissue, including smaller cells, increased collagen type, increased capillary density and changes in proteins that regulate body fat remodeling. Changes reverted within 4 days of no exercise.

“However, most of the benefits of exercise that improve metabolic health in people at risk for metabolic health complications or those who have metabolic disease stems from the response to each exercise session—and these responses to exercise are relatively short-lived, often lasting only a few days at most,” said principal investigator Jeffrey Horowitz, PhD, professor of movement science, University of Michigan. “This is one of the big reasons why it is so important to be physically active most days.”

See also: Correcting Misconceptions About Fat