Our customers always look for the most bang for their buck in all areas of their lives. Optimizing your exercise to get the best results is a great way to easily stay fit.
There is great news for people who meander and take breaks during walks. Steady walking burns fewer calories than walking with stops and starts.
In lab tests, researchers measured oxygen and energy demands in volunteers' bodies during long walks and short strolls. Climbing stairs or walking for 10 to 30 seconds required 20 to 60 percent more oxygen to burn calories than walking the same distance in one walk. Staring to move causes the body to consume more energy than staying in motion. Every time a person starts walking, their body needs to "warm up," and that takes energy. Once in motion, it is easier. It's like how a car burns more gas when driving in stop-and-go traffic rather than cruising on an empty highway.
"When we walk for shorter bouts, we use more energy and consume more oxygen to cover the same distance," said Francesco Luciano, a researcher at the Univ. of Milan and first author on the study. "It's like having a car that consumes more fuel during the first few kilometers than it does afterwards."
This research supports the benefits of "exercise snacks." Exercise snacks are two-minute bursts of movement meant to help you get more exercise into the day and get into shape without having to go to the gym. These findings could help shape rehab programs and workout plans for folks aiming to lose weight or get in better shape.
"Researchers have usually measured energy demands over walking bouts lasting many minutes," said Mr. Luciano. "However, many people are not even able to walk for so long. Think of elderly individuals or people with gait disorders."
Bursts of activity can make a huge difference. Research has found that as little as four minutes of exercise a day can lower a person's risk of cancer. Just two minutes a day can reduce the risk of death by 18 percent. While Americans spend most of our time sitting down, just 22 minutes of exercise can lower the risks of a sedentary lifestyle. And 15,000 steps a week can add up to three extra years of life and 13 percent savings on healthcare bills. Small things add up!
So, take a walk, but pause to look at the world around you. Stop for water and take breaks to look after your muscles with stretches. This new research shows that longer isn't better. Stopping and starting is not only gentler on your system, but it will also give you better results!
