So what do you think: is it better to blast some calories in a
one-hour intense bike ride, or over a longer, more meandering walk?
Research has been back and forth on the topic--it wasn't too long ago that studies suggested a quick burst of high-intensity exercise
may do a body extra-good--but now a new study is suggesting that long,
slow walks may actually be better for you. Researchers say that standing
instead of sitting whenever possible helps, too.
According to a study published in PLOS ONE, volunteers who
spent two hours standing and four hours walking each day had healthier
insulin levels and lower triglycerides than when they spent an hour at
the gym cycling. While the four hours of leisurely walking burned about
the same number of calories as the one hour of cycling, the other health
benefits were notable, say researchers. Triglycerides didn't show
improvement with vigorous exercise, but were 22 percent better when
volunteers spent less time sitting and more time walking.
There has been lots of research pointing to the fact that too much sit-time
can have serious health consequences (like, uh, premature death. Eep),
so this study may just be another piece of evidence that it's worth
getting up from your chair and taking a stroll as often as possible.
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