A new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion found that even a few minutes of brisk physical activity can help to prevent against obesity.
Study researcher Jessie X. Fan, a professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah said, “What we learned is that for preventing weight gain, the intensity of the activity matters more than the duration. This new understanding is important because fewer than 5% of American adults today achieve the recommended level of physical activity in a week according to the current physical activity guidelines. Knowing that even short bouts of ‘brisk’ activity can add up to a positive effect is an encouraging message for promoting better health.”
The researchers looked at 2200 women and 2300 men, ages 18 to 64, who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants wore accelerometers for 3 years. Researchers found that participants fell into one of 4 categories of exercise intensity: higher-intensity long bouts, higher-intensity short bouts, lower -intensity long bouts and lower-intensity short bouts.
The study showed that even the people who participated in the higher-intensity short bouts saw benefits to their body mass index. For every extra minute each day of high-intensity exertion, obesity odds decreased 5% for women and 2% for men. Check with your health care provider before starting a new fitness routine……. huffposthealth.com 9/2/13