1 hour of vigorous exercise = 50 hours of walking

A recent study by Flinders health sciences lecturer, Dr Lynda Norton, has found that 1 hour of vigorous exercise may be equivalent to 50 hours of walking. Of particular note was the findings that vigorous activity didn’t just result in improvements to cardiovascular fitness but had an impact on other health measures including fat loss and cholesterol.

http://blogs.flinders.edu.au/flinders-news/2013/11/15/vigorous-workouts-give-more-bang-for-buck/

For those who are time poor, this research provides evidence that you can still achieve significant health gains with a reduced volume of high intensity exercise. If you are not already incorporating high intensity exercise into your week and wish to do so, you will need to progress this in a measured way to allow your body to adapt to the increased demands of this type of training. Tips to ensure the ‘quality’ of your exercise sessions include;

• Keep a record or times, scores and other data to motivate you to chase your personal best – there are a number of ‘apps’ that can help with this
• Exercise with a team or friend – positive peer group pressure and competition are a great ways to achieve intensity
• Have a plan for every training session to ensure that you aren’t distracted
• Use a personal trainer – a qualified exercise professional will understand what level of intensity is appropriate for you

-Kristin Lewis