Intensity Of Exercise, Rather Than Duration, Is More Important In Losing Weight

Even very short periods of intense physical activity can lead to weight loss, a new U.S. study finds. Current physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week, which can be accumulated in eight- to ten-minute sessions. The new study shows that higher-intensity activity was associated with a lower risk of obesity, whether in bouts of fewer or greater than 10 minutes, as long as the physical activity puts the heart and lungs to work. In fact, each daily minute of higher-intensity activity lowers the odds of obesity by five percent for women and two percent for men.