We all know that exercise is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. We make time to hit the gym, shell out money for personal trainers and make our home offices pull double duty as a workout room. Whether you’re into Pilates or free weights, spinning or tai chi, some kind of physical activity is integral to keeping a balanced body and mind. In addition to the physical benefits of aerobic and resistance exercise like stamina, weight loss and strength, recent research indicates that there can be some additional benefits to exercise – appetite suppression for one.

Appetite suppression you ask? According to a study conducted by David Stensel and his colleagues at Loughborough University in England, both aerobic and resistance exercise result in lower levels of perceived hunger in study participants. Participants ran on a treadmill for 60 minutes and recorded the length of time that passed before they felt hungry. They then lifted weights for 90 minutes and evaluated their hunger in the same way. The longest duration of appetite suppression – an hour – was reported after the treadmill. As compelling as the anecdotal results are, the scientific findings are even more eye opening. According to the study, the levels of the appetite suppressing hormone peptide YY increased substantially after running and stayed elevated for up to four hours.

According to Stensel, there is still more research to be done, but it appears that conventional wisdom has once again been proven wrong. Most participants believed they would be hungrier after exercising than they would have been had they simply rested for the 60 or 90 minute intervals. In fact, several participants worried that burning calories for an hour or more would result in a desire to overeat. However, when Stensel and his colleagues compared both the scientific and anecdotal results, that simply was not the case. In fact, when they continued to monitor hunger throughout the day, they found that study participants who exercised for at least 60 minutes did not increase their food intake over the next 24 hours.

But what about the hula hoops you ask? While the study did not cover hula hoops, there is definitely room for further research. According to Stensel, the study needs to expand in scope and in duration to answer some of the questions the first study raised. With further research into the hunger impacts of exercises other than running may in fact show that your hula hoop can keep your appetite in check. Whether it’s a hula hoop, a long run on the treadmill or a session on the elliptical machine, getting the exercise your body needs anyway can yield some unexpected benefits.

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