Half of the people who take weight loss drugs stop treatment within a year, and most regain two-thirds of their lost weight. However, a new study suggests there is a way to avoid the rebound effect.

Losing weight is surprisingly easy, but gaining it back is just as easy. The blockbuster drug, GLP-1 receptor agonists, has shown to help patients lose around 15% of their body weight. One of these drugs, Ozempic, is an injectable drug that costs between $900 and $1,300 a month in the United States. Despite its effectiveness, up to half of its consumers stop taking it within a year due to side effects such as a constant feeling of satiety, nausea, and loss of desire to eat or drink.

A new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests that exercise may be the key to avoiding the rebound effect. The study, which followed up on participants from a previous study, found that those who did not keep up with an exercise routine regained around 70% of the weight they had lost. Most of the regained weight was in the form of fat, leading to a higher body fat percentage than before they started taking the drug.

On the other hand, participants who continued to exercise were able to maintain their weight loss or lose more weight. The study’s lead author, Signe Sørensen Torekov, explained that those who did not continue with the exercise routine had gained unhealthy weight.