Red Light/Green Light workout

Go, stop, and then go again. A grown-up version of Red Light/Green Light appears to be the better approach to exercise, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Researchers examined the benefits of splitting a workout into two segments and taking a long break period in between. Usually, a long break period is somewhere around 3 to 5 minutes. For this study, however, the break time was a full 20 minutes.

In the study, scientists measured fat metabolism in men that followed a specific work/break/work exercise pattern. The men first pedaled a stationary bike or 30 minutes, then took a break for 20 minutes, and then finished off their workout by pedaling for an additional 30 minutes.

The researchers discovered that during this break, the body seems to redirect its excess energy into burning fat, as evidenced by the fact that the work/break/work test subjects had 3-times the amount of free fatty acids (compounds released when stored fat is used as energy) than men who did not take a break.