To Your Health
February, 2020 (Vol. 14, Issue 02) |
|
|
Your Biggest Weight-Loss Weapon?
By Editorial Staff
It's called interval training and the authors of a recent study call it the "magic bullet" of weight loss, and for a good reason. According to their research review, which evaluated more than 75 studies, interval training is superior to moderate-intensity continuous training when it comes to fat loss.
OK, so what's the difference? Moderate-intensity continuous training is what it sounds like: exercising at moderate intensity for a set amount of time with no real break in effort (jogging is a good example). Interval training is also what it sounds like: training at set intervals, meaning bursts of intense effort with set breaks in between bursts. Typically the "bursts" represent a series of intense workouts interspersed with rest periods. (Using the jogging example as comparison, interval training could involve sprints, with short periods of jogging or walking in between).
According to the review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, both interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training reduce body-fat percentage; however, interval raining reduces total absolute fat mass 28 percent more than continuous training.
Your doctor can tell you more about interval training, continuous training, and help outline the best exercise program for you. What's best for you? It has to accomplish three things: 1) It's safe for your current health state. 2) You can reasonably stick with it. 3) It will most effectively accomplish your health / weight-loss goals. Ready, set, go!
