People who exercise 30 minutes a day lose more weight than those who exercise for an hour

Sep 21, 2013 00:31 GMT  ·  By
Researchers find that overweight people who exercise less often end up losing more weight
   Researchers find that overweight people who exercise less often end up losing more weight

Odds are dieters will rush to give researchers at the University of Copenhagen a great, big hug after learning that, according to one of their most recent investigations, those struggling to lose weight should limit the amount of exercise they do on a daily basis.

Thus, these scientists maintain that, as far as they can tell, people who only exercise for about half an hour per day lose more weight that those who sit through one-hour-long daily fitness routines.

Specifically, people in the first category have been documented to lose an average of 25% more weight, Daily Mail tells us.

The same source tells us that, in the case of overweight individuals, long and fairly stressful workouts more often than not prove detrimental due to the fact that they leave people feeling exhausted.

By comparison, dieters who only exercise for 30 minutes at a time feel more energetic. The result is that, first off, they have more motivation to stick to their newly established fitness routine. Besides, this positive take on life encourages them to make healthy lifestyle choices.

The researchers base their claims on data collected while monitoring 60 overweight men who were all trying to get back in shape.

These volunteers were kept a close eye on for a total of 13 weeks, during which the researchers carefully recorded their progress in terms of losing weight and embracing a healthy way of living.

According to Professor Bente Stallknecht, “The ‘lightweight’ group of exercisers appear to get more energy and be more motivated in relation to pursuing a healthy lifestyle.”

“The subjects in the test group that exercised the least talk about increased energy levels and a higher motivation for exercising and pursuing a healthy everyday life. They take the stairs, take the dog for an extra walk or cycle to work,” researcher Astrid Jespersen adds.

In light of these findings, the researchers recommend that, since obesity is such a complex problem, those who are trying to find solutions for it do not focus on medical facts alone.

“Decades of health campaigns have proven insufficiently effective because we have been unable to incorporate the significance of, e.g. psychology, culture and social structures. When addressing a complex problem such as obesity, several disciplines must be employed, and the research must be viewed from a holistic perspective,” specialist Astrid Jespersen argues.