For weight loss, every extra minute of intense physical activity can help

Good news for people disliking exercises: even very brief periods of intense physical activity can help with weight loss. In a recent study in the American Journal of Health Promotion, researchers collected data from 2,202 women and 2,309 men participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2003 to 2006. During that time, the participants wore accelerometers for seven day periods in order to track their physical activity. “What we have learned is that for preventing weight gain, the intensity of the activity matters more than duration,” Jessie X. Fan, professor of family and consumer studies ar the University of Utah, told Medical Xpress. “This new understanding is vital because fewer than 5 percent of American adults today achieve the recommended level of physical activity in a week according to the current physical activity guidelines,” Fan added In addition, each minute of high intensity exercise was associated with a 5 percent decreased chance for obesity in women and a 2 percent decreased chance for obesity in men.