Workouts short bursts or one longer one

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surfagirl1
surfagirl1 Posts: 19 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone, I just got a spin bike. Yay . Anyway I've used it yesterday and today. ... But does anyone know if its better to do e.g three lots of ten min during the day / or 30 min in the evening ?

Thanks.

Sam

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  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    I would think you would get a better workout doing one long one, since you usually get one and start slow and warm up a bit and then hit it hard and htne cool down in the end, so with one workout you are only doing that once and not wasting all your time warming up and cooling down. That being said, I don't know your situation so if you have an infant at home or something that makes it really hard to get on there for long times then some workout is better than now workout so fit it in however you can.
  • BoomstickChick
    BoomstickChick Posts: 428 Member
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    I plan on just getting exercise when and how I can, if that means 5 minutes here, 15 there, that's what I'll do. Anything is better than nothing. With 2 preschoolers, a newborn, and my own school starting next week, my life's a little busy to say the least. :wink:
  • leapsonbounds
    leapsonbounds Posts: 77 Member
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    There has bee a lot written about this lately. And while I agree that I personally prefer to do one longer workout, the studies have shown that it doesn't matter. It's more important that you get it done. Best of luck!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    What are your goals?
    Are you training for sprints? Endurance? General fitness?

    Having an extra three showers a day could play havoc with your skin......
  • TamaraKat
    TamaraKat Posts: 533 Member
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    There has bee a lot written about this lately. And while I agree that I personally prefer to do one longer workout, the studies have shown that it doesn't matter. It's more important that you get it done. Best of luck!
    Agreed! Do with what you can fit in - any exercise is good exercise!
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    What are your goals?
    Are you training for sprints? Endurance? General fitness?

    What he said.

    Ten minutes of hard intervals will achieve different things to a half hour steady state bimble...

    What are your goals?
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The longer session will help increase stamina. But from a heatlh benefits prospective, there isn't much difference. Three bouts of 10 min exercise will usually lower your risk of disease the same as one 30 min session, provided intestity is comparable.
  • r60775m
    r60775m Posts: 5 Member
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    Congratulations on your new spin bike. To answer your question, it is best to mix things up, doing shorter, intense workouts, with longer workouts tossed into the mix. This keeps your body from becoming conditioned to doing just one thing. Weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume, and the long workouts burn the most calories and increase your stamina. Short and intense workouts provide better training for your muscles and your heart, however. Something that works well is to put intense intervals into your longer ride, say a climb or sprint for 30 seconds or a minute every 5th minute or so. Your body will adapt to the training you give it, so it's a good idea to change things up and use other forms of exercise in your routine.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    I do both, change it up daily!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Saw this and thought of this thread.

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_140354.html

    Short Bouts of Brisk Exercise May Help Cut Obesity Risk
    Intensity of activity more important than duration for controlling weight, study finds

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