General Article Do quick workouts beat long ones?

Topic Selected: Fitness
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The secret of keeping fit is to ‘do less exercise’, says the Daily Express. The newspaper claims that new research shows that short bursts of intense activity are enough to keep most people fit, ‘blowing away the myth that staying in shape takes hours of dedication’.

The news is based on a small study in seven healthy men, comparing their fitness levels before and after a two-week programme of short cycling sessions. After the course of six sessions the researchers found the men had improved exercise performance and metabolism in their muscles.

However, this study did not compare this exercise regime with others, or look at any long-term benefits of exercise, such as any reduction in heart disease or obesity. This, and other limitations, means the research does not support the claims that short bursts of intensive exercise offer as much benefit as the officially recommended, more frequent, but less intensive exercise. Government guidelines suggest 30 minutes of moderate-intensity ...

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