30 Minutes of Exercise a Day is All You Need
Good news for busy people: Danish researchers have discovered that 30 minutes of exercise a day is just as effective as 60 minutes.
The University of Copenhagen scientists followed 60 moderately overweight men for 13 weeks as they tried to get in shape. Half of the participants worked up a sweat for 60 minutes a day, while the rest of the men exercised for 30 minutes.
15 Ways to Find 15 Minutes of Exercise a Day
The men who exercised 30 minutes a day shed 3.6 kilograms in three months, while those who worked out for an hour burned only 2.7 kilograms. Both groups of men lost about 4 kilograms of body mass--exercising for the entire hour didn't contribute to the loss of any additional body weight or fat.
One of the researchers speculates that the thirty minute group burned more because they felt thirty minutes were more doable, and could attack it with more intensity and energy as a result. Or it could be that the men who exercised for 60 minutes ate more, cancelling out the entire effect of their workout.
This research comes on the heels of a 2011 Taiwanese study that found 15 minutes of daily exercise may actually prolong your life. The bottom line: Exercise, even a little bit, can help you. Just think, in 30 minutes you can burn:
- 300 calories mountain biking
- 250 calories in hot yoga class
- 230 calories on a stationary bike
- 200 calories swimming
- 176 calories kayaking
- Up to 200 calories walking
- Around 300 calories running
- Or think about pairing one of our 15-minute workouts with 15-minutes of the cardio of your choice.
What's your favorite way to spend 30 minutes exercising? Tell us in the comments below!
Related: 64 Ways to Burn 100 Calories
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