The Best Workout for Weight Loss, Heart Health
Higher-intensity workouts could lower blood sugar levels and improve heart health, a new study says.
According to a study published March 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, obese people who exercised briskly for 40 minutes per day, four days per week, significantly improved not only their cardiovascular health, but also lost weight and reduced their blood sugar levels. In comparison, those who exercised at lower intensity improved their health and lost weight, but didn’t reduce their blood sugar level.
“Improvement at the higher intensity — just walking briskly on a treadmill — was substantially better,“ says Robert Ross, PhD, lead author of the study and an exercise physiologist at the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. “Participants were surprised at how easy it was to get to the higher intensity,”
About one-third of U.S adults over the age of 20 are considered obese, putting them at a much higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Exercise reduces that risk. Adults are currently advised by the federal government to exercise at moderate intensity for 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) per week or high intensity for 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) for the best health outcomes.
Intensity is measured by how hard a particular physical activity makes the cardiovascular system work, and it differs from individual to individual based on their level of fitness. For someone who isn’t fit, a brisk walk is enough to raise the heart rate to the optimal level for improving cardiovascular health. For someone who is fit, it takes a jog to get them to the ideal level, Ross says.
More information www.everydayhealth.com
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