It’s the Least You Can Do
Exactly how little can you do and still get fit? A new study suggests 1.7 might be the magic number.
Middle-aged men and women at risk for heart disease who walk at a moderate pace for just 1.7 miles a day improve several important measures of their aerobic fitness.
More Is More
Ok, we admit it. The data show that jogging at full speed for nearly 3 miles a day reaps the greatest cardiovascular benefits. But if jogging shorts and running shoes aren’t your style — or you’re just feeling kinda tired today — at least get yourself out there for 1.7 miles. It’s still enough to keep you on the road to better fitness.
More Ways to Do Less
Going slower doesn’t always mean that you’ll lose the fitness race. Here are some other ways to keep yourself in the game when you feel like throwing in the towel:
Slow it down. You don’t have to keep up with that marathon runner.
Take a breather. Right in the middle of your workout.
Break it up. Can’t pull together 30 minutes of exercise? Grab 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes after dinner.
New research shows that lower-intensity exercise may help you shed more pounds than a faster-paced activity — as long as you burn enough calories from it. So get out of the high-speed lane. Walk, don’t run. Jog, don’t sprint. Skip the spinning class and pedal an exercise bike at a comfortable speed, all the while chanting: Do less, lose more.
The study compared two groups of women who did slower- or faster-paced sessions on the treadmill 4 days a week. During the sessions, each group exercised at their respective paces until the same number of calories was burned. After 3 months — with absolutely no dieting — the slower-goers had lost an average of more than 7 pounds each, while the quicker group had dropped only 4. Although the study was small, the numbers are compelling.
Browse Encouraging Health for more fitness ideas.
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