Exercise beneficial even if no weight loss

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., March 20 (UPI) -- Daily physical activity is beneficial to cardiovascular health even if the pounds don't drop as quickly many would like, a U.S. study found.

Indiana University Bloomington researchers examined the vascular response to exercise in overweight men and found overweight, but active men respond dramatically better compared to their inactive counterparts in a new vascular response test.

Study leader Ryan A. Harris, a doctoral student at Indiana University Bloomington and now a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of California in San Diego, said the active cohort saw an average 24 percent improvement in their vascular function, compared to the 32 percent decrease observed in the inactive group.

"Being overweight isn't hopeless," Janet P. Wallace, a professor at Indiana University Bloomington said in a statement. "This study shows you can still do some measures to help yourself while you work to lose weight."

The study involved 16 overweight men ages 46 to 68 -- half were active, performing at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days

The findings were published in the journal Obesity.