| Weight Loss: Less Intense Exercise May Work Better
Weight Loss: Less Intense Exercise May Work Better
Moderate, gentle exercise may actually be more effective for weight loss than strenuous aerobics, according to a new study from Greece.
Dr. Vassilis Mougios and his colleagues at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki randomly assigned 14 normal-weight and overweight women to one of two groups: One that exercised on a treadmill at a moderate pace, four times a week; and one that worked out at a more vigorous clip, also four times per week.
The researchers set the duration of the workouts so that women in both groups would burn 370 calories each time.
After three months, exercisers in both groups were slimmer, but the lower-intensity group lost more weight -- about 7 pounds on average, compared with 4 pounds in the high-intensity group.
It's possible, according to Mougios, that women in the high-intensity group shed fewer pounds because they ended up eating more, or were so drained by their regimen that they relaxed more in their leisure time.
Dr. Mougios says he's not suggesting that people who enjoy strenuous exercise quit. The most important thing, he says, is to stay active with various forms of exercise.
The study appears in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.
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