Charge Up for Good Health

We all know that to successfully shed weight, you need to create a negative energy balance. Pretty simple: Burn off more than you take in. But that ratio is often problematic for dieters, because it slows your metabolism at the same time it grows your appetite.

So what about exercise? If you put more time in the gym or on the pavement, will you lose more weight?

Maybe not.

According to recent research in the American Journal of Physiology, Danish men lost more weight with half an hour of daily exercise than they did with a full hour. The men who exercised for 30 minutes lost an average of 8 pounds, while the men who worked out for double that time ended up with a weight loss of just 6 pounds. Both groups had similar losses in fat mass -- about 8.8 pounds in the moderate group, and 8.3 pounds in the high-dose group.

Here’s a bit about the study: In the 13-week experiment, 60 relatively overweight men were randomly assigned to either a moderate or high-dose aerobic routine of running, biking or rowing. The moderate exercisers burned 300 calories a day, while the high-dose group burned 600. Throughout the experiment, researchers monitored the men’s body composition as well as their food intake and non-exercise physical activity. There was no significant difference in the calories they took in, nor the amount of energy they expended when they weren’t exercising.

What gives?

Researchers aren’t entirely sure, but they have some guesses.

The men who exercised less might have had more energy left over (after all, they didn’t work out to the point of oblivion) the remainder of the day, while those who gave an all-out effort might have been pooped. For instance, maybe the high-dose exercisers would take an elevator instead of the stairs or shun that long (er) walk with the dog because they’re “too tired,” while the moderate exercisers would move around more or go out dancing that night, since they had more energy to burn.

Or perhaps it was a case of “compensatory eating” (even though their eating patterns were monitored), where the high-dose exercisers were either a) hungrier or b) felt they “earned” that extra piece of chocolate.

Whatever the reason, it’s good news for those of us who feel like slackers when we opt for a workout that leaves us a bit less sweaty and exhausted.

Here’s the takeaway for you: Not only is there a chance you may lose weight with a shorter workout, you will also reap the pretty hefty benefits of exercise in general, including improved sleep and mood, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, heart function and muscle mass; and a reduced risk of osteoporosis and certain types of cancers. Now there’s really no excuse not to get out there and move it.