Moderate exercise may beat intense workouts

[aquaholic]

Moderate exercise may beat intense workouts
Mon Aug 6, 2007 10:27am ET136

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Moderate exercise like walking may be as good as or better than intense workouts when it comes to certain heart health measures, new research suggests.

In a study of 240 overweight, middle-aged adults, researchers found that moderate exercise, but not vigorous activity, improved participants' levels of blood fats called triglycerides.

Meanwhile, improvements in "good" HDL cholesterol seemed to depend on how much study participants exercised, and not how intensely. What's more, researchers found, both benefits were sustained when exercisers took a vacation from working out.

All of this is good news for sedentary people who would find it hard to leap from the couch to a daily run, according to the study authors.

On the other hand, there's bad news for sedentary people who would prefer to stay that way. In this study, participants who remained inactive saw their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels climb over just six months.

The negative effects don't stop there. Previous work with the same study group found that inactive participants continued to gain weight and inches around the waistline, lead study author Dr. Cris A. Slentz told Reuters Health.

"In overweight or mildly obese sedentary individuals, continuing to be inactive is worse than previously thought," said Slentz, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.


Continued...

[6.8SPC]

That makes sense. If you're sedentary you have not been conditioned to the stress levels of high intensity exercise. Add the fact that a person is overweight and probably already has a stressed heart and circulatory sytems, I could see how it would probably be detrimental to their overall health to get right off the couch and run wind sprints. Thanks.

[BrooklynBB]

I would love to see an honest article of bodybuilding type workouts vs. moderate walking and see who loses more fat quicker.

Originally Posted by aquaholic

Moderate exercise may beat intense workouts
Mon Aug 6, 2007 10:27am ET136

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Moderate exercise like walking may be as good as or better than intense workouts when it comes to certain heart health measures, new research suggests.

In a study of 240 overweight, middle-aged adults, researchers found that moderate exercise, but not vigorous activity, improved participants' levels of blood fats called triglycerides.

Meanwhile, improvements in "good" HDL cholesterol seemed to depend on how much study participants exercised, and not how intensely. What's more, researchers found, both benefits were sustained when exercisers took a vacation from working out.

All of this is good news for sedentary people who would find it hard to leap from the couch to a daily run, according to the study authors.

On the other hand, there's bad news for sedentary people who would prefer to stay that way. In this study, participants who remained inactive saw their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels climb over just six months.

The negative effects don't stop there. Previous work with the same study group found that inactive participants continued to gain weight and inches around the waistline, lead study author Dr. Cris A. Slentz told Reuters Health.

"In overweight or mildly obese sedentary individuals, continuing to be inactive is worse than previously thought," said Slentz, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.


Continued...

[Slingshot]

I do not believe that article for one minute if it's comparing HIT weight training to moderate intensity weight training or exercise in general. But, I do believe moderate intensity aerobics are more efficient than the HIT or HIIT version when coupled with HIT weight training.

[M21SL]

I believe they are talking about strictly cardio exercises, in which case I would have to agree with the article. thanks for the read aquaholic!

[NewFoundPower]

...for my father not to get off the couch. You don't have to run a marathon, just go for a walk already!