In one particularly
useful study from May, scientists found that three brief sessions per
day of interval-style exercise — consisting of one minute of brisk
walking followed by another minute of strolling, repeated six times —
allowed people at risk of diabetes to control their blood sugar better
than a continuous 30-minute walk.
useful study from May, scientists found that three brief sessions per
day of interval-style exercise — consisting of one minute of brisk
walking followed by another minute of strolling, repeated six times —
allowed people at risk of diabetes to control their blood sugar better
than a continuous 30-minute walk.
Just as important, these short “exercise snacks,”
as the scientists called the condensed sessions, were more popular with
the study’s participants than the single, longer walk, the scientists
reported. They liked finishing quickly.
as the scientists called the condensed sessions, were more popular with
the study’s participants than the single, longer walk, the scientists
reported. They liked finishing quickly.
That sentiment likewise explains the popularity of the “Scientific 7-Minute Workout,” which I first wrote about in 2013 and updated this fall with an advanced version and a related app. Similarly, many of you were intrigued by a July study detailing how running as little as five minutes a day
might add years to someone’s life span. “Most people can fit in five
minutes a day” of exercise, one of the study’s authors told me.
might add years to someone’s life span. “Most people can fit in five
minutes a day” of exercise, one of the study’s authors told me.
But should even that time commitment seem excessive, scientists obligingly developed and tested a one-minute workout
this year, with three 20-second intervals of very hard exercise leading
to robust improvements in the endurance and health of the study’s
overweight, out-of-shape volunteers.
this year, with three 20-second intervals of very hard exercise leading
to robust improvements in the endurance and health of the study’s
overweight, out-of-shape volunteers.
There is naturally a
catch to such truncated workouts, however. In each of these studies, the
exertion involved was intense. The volunteers panted and strained,
albeit briefly. Their strenuous exercise seemed to invoke “more potent”
physiological responses than gentler activity, one of the researchers
involved in the exercise-snacking study said.
catch to such truncated workouts, however. In each of these studies, the
exertion involved was intense. The volunteers panted and strained,
albeit briefly. Their strenuous exercise seemed to invoke “more potent”
physiological responses than gentler activity, one of the researchers
involved in the exercise-snacking study said.
A nifty June study helps to explain why. In that experiment,
mice that were pushed to run hard on running wheels developed
distinctly different biochemical responses within their muscle cells
than other animals and these differences translated into larger,
healthier muscles. The study’s lesson, its lead author concluded, is
that sometimes you need to “get out of your body’s comfort zone.” But
only, thankfully, for a minute or five.
mice that were pushed to run hard on running wheels developed
distinctly different biochemical responses within their muscle cells
than other animals and these differences translated into larger,
healthier muscles. The study’s lesson, its lead author concluded, is
that sometimes you need to “get out of your body’s comfort zone.” But
only, thankfully, for a minute or five.
