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Metabolism - Improve Yours in 2 Weeks
Posted on Feb 9th 2009 7:30AM by Jonny Bowden
A new study demonstrates -- as I've argued for years -- that you don't have to spend an hour in the gym or on the track in order to get the significant health benefits that exercise has to offer. In the study, researchers had young healthy male volunteers use exercise bikes to perform quick, rigorous 30-second sprints, Over the course of two weeks, the subjects performed 30 of these sprints (about two or three a day) for a grand total of 15 minutes total exercise. You read that right: 15 minutes. Over the course of two weeks. And the researchers found that this low-volume high-intensity training substantially improved the body's ability to process sugar.
"Doing a few intense muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds each, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks," said James Timmons, a professor at the University and one of the researchers.
Studies have shown that interval training -- which is the kind of high-intensity, short-burst training used in this current study -- improves cardiovascular fitness and is an effective way to burn fat. This same kind of exercise may be an effective weapon in the fight against diabetes.
This is an important study because it helps make the case that there's a lot you can actually accomplish for your health in very little time -- that is, if you train smart. While walking 30 minutes a day is terrific, and weight training and spin class and all the other terrific ways to exercise the body still have their place, it's nice to know that you can still get a lot accomplished even if all you have to work out is a few minutes a day.
