Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The No-Sweat Workout

Are you tired of being out-of-shape? Want all the health benefits of being an athlete, but can't commit to all those grueling hours in the gym? Well, now you can work out in just a few minutes a week! Yes, it sounds like another one of those fly-by-night fitness fads, but there's some pretty solid evidence that short, intense bursts of exercise do have some pretty impressive effects. Dr. Jamie Timmons, an exercise biologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, has been looking at how little exercise we can do and still get the protective benifits of being active -- specifically, prevention of diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Timmons has found that doing a few 30-second sprints on a stationary bike, twice a week, is as effective at preventing disease as much more time-intensive regimes.

Continued...

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