In the realm of fitness, many people often worry about whether they are getting enough health benefits if they don’t exercise daily. However, a recent study suggests that a more relaxed approach to exercise might actually be more beneficial than pushing yourself too hard every day.
Published in *Exercise & Science in Sports & Medicine*, this study was conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They recruited 72 women aged between 60 and 74 who were not very active and divided them into three different groups based on their workout schedules.
The first group trained with weightlifting once a week and did endurance exercises like jogging or cycling on another day. The second group exercised two days a week for weightlifting and two days for endurance activities. The third group followed a more intense routine, training six days a week—three days of weightlifting and three days of endurance exercises.
Throughout the four-month study, the participants’ muscle strength and endurance were monitored. Initially, the workouts were easy, but as time passed, the intensity and duration gradually increased. By the end, all participants could jog for 40 minutes and perform weightlifting exercises for the same amount of time.
Previous research has shown that exercising only once or twice a week may not significantly improve physical fitness, while those who train almost every day often report feeling less energetic in their daily lives. The researchers concluded that a very strict schedule might overstimulate the central nervous system, leading to feelings of fatigue and drowsiness, which can discourage further activity.
In this experiment, scientists also tracked cytokine levels in the blood, which are linked to stress, to determine if the participants were overexercising. They monitored changes in aerobic capacity, muscle strength, body fat, and mood, using advanced calorie measurement techniques to calculate weekly energy expenditure.
At the end of the four months, even though weight loss wasn't the main goal, all participants showed improved endurance and strength, along with a decrease in body fat. Importantly, none of the women were asked to change their eating habits.
Interestingly, the improvements in physical fitness were similar across all three groups. Women who exercised twice a week were just as strong and had the same aerobic capacity as those who worked out six times a week. There were no significant differences in cytokine levels either.
However, women who exercised four times a week burned more calories than those in the other groups. In addition to the calories burned during exercise, they burned an extra 225 calories per day compared to the start of the experiment. Even those who trained twice a week saw an increase in their daily calorie burn, adding nearly 100 calories per day.
On the other hand, women who trained six times a week experienced a significant drop in their daily energy consumption. Despite their intense workouts, they only burned around 200 calories per day.
Dr. Gary Hunter, the lead researcher from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, noted that after a few months of training, women who exercised twice or four times a week felt more energetic and physically stronger. He observed that these women started choosing the stairs over the elevator and enjoyed walking more.
In contrast, women who trained six times a week reported that it took up too much of their time. While they didn’t feel tired or unsatisfied, they found themselves avoiding physical activities like walking or climbing stairs due to time constraints.
Although this study challenges the notion that more exercise is always better, it’s important to note that people who exercise six times a week may still feel motivated. The key takeaway is that being mindful of your activity level can prevent you from becoming inactive without realizing it.
Dr. Hunter emphasized that the most important finding was “less is more.†He believes this message resonates with everyone. Women who trained four times a week burned the most calories, but those who trained just twice a week were still doing well. It seems that balance and consistency matter more than the frequency of workouts.
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