 "I always thought I had to work out hours a day to feel better. But Scott showed me how just a 1/2 hour a day, a few days a week, could really make a difference!" Barbara M., NJ |
|||
 Motivational Tips Fitness Facts Goal Setting Tips Health and Wellness Exercise Equipment Weight Loss Health Library Trainer Blog About Us Home |
In a recent study, British researchers confirmed that some exercise is better than nothing. Researchers found that for sedentary people, even a few minutes of daily stair climbing - a vigorous but easily accessible form of exercise - can improve cardiovascular health. Previous studies have shown that accumulating short bouts of exercise can make a difference; this one shows just how short those bouts can be. Twenty-two sedentary college-aged women walked up 199 steps - more than you're likely to find at home, but doable in a high-rise - in 2.25 minutes, a ''brisk but comfortable'' pace which shot their heart rates up to 90 percent of their predicted maximum. They progressed from one ascent per day during the first week to six ascents per day, for a total of 13.5 minutes over the course of a day, during the sixth and seventh weeks. By the end of this modest exercise program, the women were measurably more fit: Heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate levels during climbing were reduced, and their HDL (''good'') cholesterol levels had increased. Source: Preventive Medicine, 2000; 30, 4, 277-281 |
|
|
|
ACE POLICY: *All ACE Fit Facts™ found in the ACE Certified News publication and ACE Health E-tips newsletters are copyrighted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and cannot be used for widespread distribution, either in print or via electronic means, without written permission from ACE. |
|||