I’ve been preaching the benefits of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity for burning more body fat for years. I’m not talking about yard work or cleaning your house — I’m talking about brisk walks (especially done fasting first thing in the morning) and other forms of long duration moderate exercise. The routines in Fit Over 40 that I personally give are perfect examples of blending low and high intensity exercise in a way to get the best out of both methods of training.
We now know that this form of exercise is all the heart requires to maintain optimum health from numerous studies. The rub is the frequency — this must be a daily or near-daily activity. Also, I certainly do not exclude intense exercise such as weight training and hard cardio done infrequently from one’s total health and fitness routine. Quite the contrary. If you ignore the power of intensity altogether, you will simply never get the body most of us want.
Here’s a new study on the subject from The International Journal of Sports Medicine. This should come as wonderful news for all of us over 40 who simply do not fair well with daily intense exercise.
(Reuters Health) - A brisk walk through the park might be better than a fast run when it comes to shedding pounds, a small study suggests.
Researchers found that among 14 women who embarked on a three-month exercise regimen, those who worked out at a moderate pace lost more weight than those who exercised more intensively.
But it’s not time for runners to start slowing down, according to the study authors. For one, women in the higher-intensity exercise group did retain more muscle mass than those who worked out more moderately. (Editor’s Note: While this is true, muscle mass needs to be increased, not merely maintained. Running cannot accomplish this, but resistance training most certainly can.)
More importantly, though, there is no such thing as one “magic exercise,” said lead study author Dr. Vassilis Mougios of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
To get the greatest health and fitness benefits, he told Reuters Health, people should strive for a mix of moderate and vigorous cardiovascular exercise, as well as strength training.
I’ve been preaching the benefits of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity for burning more body fat for years. I’m not talking about yard work or cleaning your house — I’m talking about brisk walks (especially done fasting first thing in the morning) and other forms of long duration moderate exercise. The routines in Fit Over 40 that I personally give are perfect examples of blending low and high intensity exercise in a way to get the best out of both methods of training.
We now know that this form of exercise is all the heart requires to maintain optimum health from numerous studies. The rub is the frequency — this must be a daily or near-daily activity. Also, I certainly do not exclude intense exercise such as weight training and hard cardio done infrequently from one’s total health and fitness routine. Quite the contrary. If you ignore the power of intensity altogether, you will simply never get the body most of us want.
Here’s a new study on the subject from The International Journal of Sports Medicine. This should come as wonderful news for all of us over 40 who simply do not fair well with daily intense exercise.
(Reuters Health) - A brisk walk through the park might be better than a fast run when it comes to shedding pounds, a small study suggests.
Researchers found that among 14 women who embarked on a three-month exercise regimen, those who worked out at a moderate pace lost more weight than those who exercised more intensively.
But it’s not time for runners to start slowing down, according to the study authors. For one, women in the higher-intensity exercise group did retain more muscle mass than those who worked out more moderately. (Editor’s Note: While this is true, muscle mass needs to be increased, not merely maintained. Running cannot accomplish this, but resistance training most certainly can.)
More importantly, though, there is no such thing as one “magic exercise,” said lead study author Dr. Vassilis Mougios of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
To get the greatest health and fitness benefits, he told Reuters Health, people should strive for a mix of moderate and vigorous cardiovascular exercise, as well as strength training.