30 minutes a day is just as or more effective than 60

I know this is a month ago, but I don't remember seeing the crapstorm over it so enjoy:

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/11695/20120823/30-minutes-exercise-sheds-more-pounds-than-1-hour-training.htm

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, found those who ran, rowed or bicycled for half an hour a day lost on average eight pounds over a three month period, while men trained daily for half an hour more lost two pounds less.
While it is unclear as to why then men who exercised longer did not lose more weight, researchers suggest that it may be because the men ended up eating more or participants assigned to the 30-minute sessions may have had more energy to remain active for the rest of the day.
Researchers followed the progress of 60 Danish men considered moderately overweight but healthy and who wanted to get in "better shape" over three months.
Half of the men were assigned to the 60 minute group and the other half was assigned to the 30 minute group.
"The participants in our study trained every day for three months. All training sessions were planned to produce a light sweat, but participants were expected to increase the intensity and give it gas three times a week ," lead researcher Mads Rosenkilde said in a statement.
Researchers concluded that just "30 minutes of exercise hard enough to produce a sweat was enough to turn the tide on an unhealthy body mass index."

Replies

  • needlework
    needlework Posts: 141 Member
    bump
  • SweetMe1
    SweetMe1 Posts: 73 Member
    This is good newsfor young men, but how about us older women? It's impossible to tell if this applies to us too.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    I know for me, an hour of cardio and I want to sleep and eat the rest of the day. Just doing 30 gives me some pep.
  • Mini_Medic
    Mini_Medic Posts: 343 Member
    30minute workouts give me energy and motivation. 60minute workouts are almost boring because of the repitition and the "dragging on forever" feeling. I think it is probably mostly the "all at once" energy/calorie deficit that causes people who workout for an hour to eat more and not lose as much. I noticed when I did an hour power session I was wore out and ready to eat and rest. While doing 30 minutes or two separate 30minute workouts over the course of the day were much better for me, and maintained my energy level and curbed my "overeating urges".
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I have also been doing 30 minutes.
  • coffeebrown5
    coffeebrown5 Posts: 73 Member
    Great information because sometimes all I can squeeze in is 30 minutes . I don't want to give up working out because i enjoy it.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    The implication here seems to be that extra cardio doesn't help. But does it touch at all on the idea of 30 minutes of cardio plus weights?
  • Sarge516
    Sarge516 Posts: 256 Member
    I agree. As long as that 30 minutes is at a high intensity level.