A new Danish study has found that people who exercised for just 30 minutes a day lost a third more weight than those who worked out for an hour a day.
The rationale? Scientists believe that the shorter workout stints left subjects with more energy and motivation to live healthier lifestyles, while those who hit the gym for an hour were more likely to feel burned out.
“The subjects in the test group that exercised the least talk about increased energy levels and a higher motivation for exercising and pursuing a healthy everyday life,” said study author Dr. Astrid Jesperson of the University of Copenhagen. “They take the stairs, take the dog for an extra walk or cycle to work.” In contrast, the subjects “who exercised for one hour a day, after training, felt exhausted, demotivated and less open to making a healthy change,” she added.
“We are thus seeing that a moderate amount of exercise will significantly impact the subjects’ daily practices.”
The study, published online in the journal Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, monitored 60 moderately overweight but healthy Danish men for 13 weeks. Half of the subjects exercised vigorously for 30 minutes a day by jogging, cycling, or cross training while the other half exercised for a full hour daily. Subjects also responded to interview questions about their feelings during the study period.
On average, the men who worked out 30 minutes a day lost an average of 3.6 kg during the three months, while those exercising longer lost just 2.7 kg.
Other recent research also suggests a big payoff with small doses of exercise. This May, a new study published in the journal PLOS One found that overweight, inactive men can get fitter and healthier with just four minutes of vigorous high-intensity training three times per week.
Stil, another recent study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion found that each additional minute of intense exercise resulted in a small reduction in weight in female subjects.
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Exercises:
Burpees (full body extensions, modified burpee)
Squats
Push ups (modified push up)
Mountain climbers
Bicycle crunches
How to Perform:
Start at 10 reps of each exercise. Rest as little as possible, do 9 reps of each exercise, count down until you finish with 1 rep of each exercise. Stop the clock.
Enjoy!
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 50-60 minutes | Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
¼ pound uncured bacon, diced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pastured egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, finely chopped
1½ cups cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
½ tablespoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan and sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the leftover bacon fat.
2.) In a large bowl, mix the meat with all the ingredients except the tomato paste. Place the meat in an 8×8” baking dish and shape into a loaf.
3.) In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste with a tablespoon or two of water. Evenly spread it over the top of the loaf, then bake for about 45 minutes, or until done. Serve with your choice of sides.
