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Walking little and often is as beneficial as 30 minutes on a treadmillIn a study involving 15 healthy young men, walking briskly in 3 minute bouts, 10 times per day, was found to be as effective as walking for 30 minutes continuously, in terms of reducing blood pressure and levels of fat in blood following a meal.
The research was conducted over two days. On day one, subjects either rested or walked briskly in either ten 3-minuite bouts (30 minute rest between each) or one 30-minuite bout. On day two, subjects rested and consumed high fat meals for breakfast and lunch. On day two concentrations of fat in blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) over time were 16% lower on the accumulated and continuous brisk walking trials than on the control trial. Resting systolic blood pressure (the pressure of blood when the heart beats) was 6-7% lower throughout day two on the accumulated and continuous trials than on the control trial.
The current consensus is that 30 minutes of moderate excersise 5 times a week is optimal to maintain health. Previous research has investigated the effect of accumulating 30 minutes in bouts of 10 minutes; this has been found to be equally as effective, both in terms of improving fitness and positively influencing various cardiovascular health parameters, as one session. The key then is to keep active; there is no need to worry about spending hours in a gym- walking as much as possible, taking the stairs and even gardening and housework all contribute.
Click here to read the study abstract. |