Exercise: Having No Time May Not Be An Excuse -- Have 6 Minutes a Week?

I managed to lose my weight with no exercise, but I have been putting off the much-needed exercise regimen because of time constraints. If the latest study proves valid, that excuse for me and for millions more may be obsolete.

A new exercise study reports:

Key points
• Study find 3 x 2-minute bursts of exercise as healthy as 3 x 2-hour workouts
• Two-minute regimes based on intense cycling
• Tests showed rate of oxygen absorption same for those doing both regimes

Key quote
"We have shown that a person can get the same benefits in fitness and health in a short period if they are willing to endure the discomfort of high-intensity activity" - Professor Martin Gibala, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

And this is based on a non-impact exercise routine! I wish they had a video of this "discomfort of high-intensity activity." How bad can 30 seconds of exercise be?

If this proves to be valid, I can see the establishment having fits of pique, just like they did with the low carb diet. "It isn't healthy in the long run -- it puts a strain on your system -- we don't have any long-term studies." The good thing about the exercise regimen is that it is much easier to study than a diet. Although, of course, because everyone is different, some people truly don't respond to exercise, as this study contends. (I'd love to see the folks who don't respond to exercise try this short burst exercise regimen and see what happens.)

Comments

[adam wilk]

Hi Katherine,
My name is Adam Wilk--I also blog about diets, health, and sometimes I write pure nonsense to make people laugh. But I'm enjoying your blog. I did notice when I read a lot of the low-carb books (Protein Power, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, The Schwarzbein Principle) that most of these styles focused more on the eating part of life as opposed to drilling the dieter on exercise, exercise, and more exercise. Perhaps when one low-carbs the body begins to achieve a sense of harmony again--to the point where exercise may not be so mandatory as when one low-fats? Ever notice that? Maybe it's because a low-fat diet shocks the system? Who knows.
Take care,
Adam Wilk
www.dietking.blogspot.com
www.dietkingbook.com