Can You Really Take Exercise Shortcuts To Good Health?
Published May 4, 2006
From the Lansing State Journal
KRT News Service
Some fitness plans promise great results with brief workouts. But can you take these shortcuts to good health?
Perhaps you've seen one of these fitness guides at your local bookstore. Maybe you drive past a Curves franchise. The claim is that a few minutes of exercise a day will shape you up or slim you down.
But most studies show that you need much more exercise than that to prevent disease and weight gain. According to the U.S. government's guidelines, it takes an hour of moderately intense activity on most days to prevent unhealthy pounds from accumulating, and even more exercise to maintain weight loss.