Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Here's a good reminder

High intensity exercise is more beneficial. Boy I hate that! I don't like to sweat. I'd prefer to stroll and enjoy the sights. But that’s what this article in Prevention says. The calories are the same--the results are different.

"Researchers from the University of Virginia found that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week (plus two longer, moderate-paced ones) lost 5 times more belly fat than those who simply strolled at a moderate speed 5 days a week, even though both groups burned exactly the same number of calories (400) per workout. Those speed walking also dropped more than 2 inches from their waistlines, pared about 3 times more fat from their thighs, shed 4 times more total body fat, and lost almost 8 pounds over 16 weeks--all without dieting!

The improvements didn't stop there. The high-intensity exercisers lost about 3 times more visceral fat--the dangerous belly fat that wraps around organs such as the liver and kidneys and has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. "Vigorous exercise raises levels of fat-burning hormones," says lead researcher Arthur Weltman, PhD, director of the exercise physiology laboratory at the university. It also increases afterburn (the number of calories your body uses postexercise as it recovers) by about 47% compared with lower-intensity workouts."

1 comment:

Joanne said...

I read the same - but have really wimped out. I too, like to stroll and enjoy the sights. But it is time for me to get off the fence and "just do it"!