Physical Activity and Endurance Training Modalities: Evidences and Perspectives

In this chapter, the main body of evidences related to the role and recommendations of daily physical activity and endurance training in weight management program has been reported. Firstly, we show that the promotion of daily physical activity in any forms and accumulated in a minimum of 10-min bouts during the day should be encouraged using and promoting options for the environments in which individuals may elect to engage in physical activity. Secondly, the two main endurance training modalities (i.e., moderate-intensity continuous and high-intensity interval trainings) and their effects for improving aerobic and metabolic fitness and health levels have been described. The literature’s findings show that these two types of training should be considered two complementary training tools in individuals with obesity. Finally, normobaric hypoxic training and noninvasive ventilation during exercise may be promising and useful methods to increase adherence and variation of interventions and to optimize training effects. Some practical and evidence-based recommendations to prescribe endurance training in this population are also presented. Health professionals should concomitantly use daily physical activity and structured endurance exercise training in weight management programs aiming to prevent and treat obesity. They should also advise individuals with obesity that the obtained health benefits can be reached at any body mass and are unrelated to body mass change.