If you have been spending hours at the gym trying to slim down, here’s some news you probably will not want to hear. New studies reveal that the weight loss benefits of exercise may have been overstated. Diet, it turns out, is a much bigger factor in weight loss.

A review of recent research by the Mayo Clinic concluded that “most studies have demonstrated no or modest weight loss with exercise alone.” Other studies assigned groups of sedentary women to different amount of exercise for a year, but found that the women lost similar amounts of weight regardless of which group they were in.

Before you give up the gym forever, countless researchers have found that exercise has a myriad of other heath benefits – it reduces depression, heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, and dementia, to name just a few. But when it comes to losing weight, exercise alone just isn’t the best route.

Researchers believe that we overestimate the number of calories we burn while exercising – often doubling the actual calorie count. We then reward ourselves for our hard work by eating food that packs on many more calories than we have burned off. I know I’m certainly guilty of that.

So the lesson here is not to stop exercising if you want to lose weight. Just keep your post-workout reward a little smaller.

photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

Now there’s a free website available called Squeeze It In to help busy moms get fit during the day. Run by Brigette Polmar and Jenny Hein, a couple of moms from Virginia, Squeeze It In has lots of exercises and videos to give you ideas on how to multitask.

Here are a few ideas from the website to get you started:

Let’s Dish Lunges

If you’re in the kitchen cooking a meal, instead of walking from counter to counter try lunging instead. By the time you’re finished cooking you will have toned and strengthened your butt and thighs.

Can Can Arms

Waiting for the microwave to finish? Grab a couple of cans out of the cupboard and lift them out to the side. By the time the microwave timer rings you will have done at least a few sets, strengthening your arms and shoulders.

Don’t let a busy schedule hold you back from staying fit. With a little creativity you can take care of your kids and get a great workout in at the same time.

For more exercise ideas, check out Squeeze It In.

photo credits: Squeeze It In