Regular exercise does keep the body healthy, but it does not always guarantee everyone weight loss. Fitness consultants and health buffs have their own theories on why no matter how intensive and varied a fitness program is, it fails to promise desired results. Generally, when workouts fail, they would advise changes in diet, type of routine and daily activities.

Recently, a group of scientists at the Arizona State University in Phoenix probed into this and published their work in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. In a fitness study conducted a month ago, 81 healthy but overweight women were observed for 12 weeks. None of them exercised regularly during the past year. Basic mass indices (BMI) and endurance levels were measured beforehand. Subjects had to undergo physical training like running on a treadmill for half an hour during the duration of the study. Researchers requested the women not to change their eating habits.

After the 12-week study, the women gained more staying power. However, a lot of them become fatter. Ffity-six of them gained more pounds from fat, some, adding up 10 more lbs of fat during the course of the study. A few lost much fat, while the rest maintained the weight they had at the start of the study.During past studies on dieting, scientists have noticed the tendency of subjects to weigh less during a fitness programme. However, no correlation on the previous and current weights were made to explain the effectiveness of exercising to achieve weight loss.

Thus, the study suggests that other factors such as diet and other activities have to be included when planning a weight loss program. Also, weight reduction should be expected after a significant period of constant workout. If exercising fails to take off those unwanted pounds, trainers should consider fitness and endurance of more importance.