One Exercise Session Boosts Fat Metabolism
"Exercise decreases everyone’s insulin resistance and therefore reduces the chances of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes. This study shows that even a single bout of exercise helps obese individuals increase their body’s fat-burning rate and improve their metabolic health," said researcher Andrea Cornford in a press release.
Does this mean you can go on one long walk a month and forget exercising the rest of the time? No. But it does show that exercise may be effective in battling insulin resistance in those of us who are overweight or obese. Too many people put off exercise until they decide it is time to lose weight. They should be exercising at any weight to prevent type II diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.
Related: How Much Exercise Do You Need to Stay Healthy?
I got my start in walking in the sport of volksmarching, where we walk for 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) on a pleasant, marked route. I still enjoy these walks each weekend, in addition to exercising during the week. It sounds like this is a good prescription for maintaining healthy fat-burning metabolism.
Related: Walking Cuts Diabetes Risks
Source: Andrea Cornford, Minghua Li, Simon Schenk, Matthew Harber and Jeffrey Horowitz. "Alteration in Lipid Metabolism After One Day of Overeating Are Reversed by a Single Session of Exercise.” American Physiological Society conference. September 24-27, 2008.
Comments
I know walking is good,but what about people w/having trouble walking far distance?How far should people lets say like me,I’m on oxygen and
the reason for that is I have a liver disease and pulmonary hypertention(however it is spelled)I can walk but not far.What can I do to lose weight?
Hannah, when you have a chronic condition it is important to discuss your exercise and weight loss options with your doctor. Your doctor would know the specifics about your medical conditions and should be able to recommend the right kind and amount of physical activity and steer you to the right nutrition program.
How is a 2.5 hr session, just one bout of exercise?
That’s ridiculous.
The way to get equivalent exercise is through interval training such as the tabata protocol. Using the tabata protocol, 4 minutes of exercise can give you the benefit equivalent of an hour of long slow distance.
Yes, an exercise session of any kind that burns 700 calories is a LOT of exercise. It’s a 6-8 mile run or walk. However, my main walking activity is volkssport walking, where we walk for 10 kilometers = 6.2 miles. That is 500-700 calories for most people. It may seem extreme, but in fact I’ve taken many non-walkers out to enjoy the Tulip Walk or Daffodil Festival Walk and they have all enjoyed it and made it without undo stress.