What if the answer to lasting weight loss was neither in a slimming program nor in a trendy sporting activity? In any case, that’s what a sports doctor says.
When we talk about losing weight, advice often goes in all directions. Some swear by cardio, others by weight training, still others by very specific methods. However, a study published in 2026 in BMJ Medicine offers another reading. Researchers were interested in what people actually do on a daily basis, not limited to one type of exercise. Their objective: to understand what helps to hold on over time, an essential point when trying to lose weight and especially not to gain it back.
On the field, sports doctor Jordan Metzl makes the same observation. The problem is not to start, but to continue. Many people give up because their routine becomes too repetitive or too restrictive. When boredom sets in, motivation drops, and with it the results. Conversely, keeping a minimum of pleasure allows you to stay regular, an essential criterion for losing weight over time.
He also observes that changing the way things are done can completely transform the effort. During a class in Central Park, he proposed an exercise with balloons to hold in the air in a crab position. “People were at their wits’ end trying to hold the position”he says. Without trying to “do well”, the participants lasted longer than expected. This type of experience shows that you can do more, simply because the activity is different and more engaging.
What the data shows is that people who avoid getting stuck in a single routine are better at staying consistent over time. This is where the central point is. “The Holy Grail of fitness is diligence, and the Holy Grail of diligence is fun.”summarizes Jordan Metzl. As you will have understood, to remain diligent, the most concrete solution is not to always do the same thing.
In everyday life, this requires very simple adjustments. Some people rely on online classes to get moving at home, others incorporate more movement into their habits, like walking more often. It can also be a gardening session or even a stroll in a stroller. It is also possible to resort to tricks: Jordan Metzl mentions a patient who left his sports shoes in the room, having to go there to retrieve them. Result ? He practiced almost every time.
