Next time you take a walk, pick up the pace. In this Health Smarts video, fitness expert Mike Clark, DPT, explains how short bursts with higher-intensity effort revs up your metabolism to help you lose weight.
Hi, I'm Dr. Clark. So you don't think you have time for that 60 minute high intensity power walk? Then do a mini version, it can still produce some pretty impressive health gains. In one study, people exercised just twice a week for 20 to 25 minutes at a lower to moderate pace with occasional high intensity mixed in. The results, they significantly boost both metabolism and fitness levels, and here's the kicker, folks just picked up the pace, just a little bit anywhere from eight to a dozen times during that mini workout.
Endurance exercise of any kind, even for a handful of minutes, boosts the production of mitochondria in your muscles cells, and that's good news for your health, because more of those little energy generators you have inside of your muscle, the better your muscles are able to convert glucose and fat into energy.
Translation, better metabolism. The more of those that you have, the more mitochondria you have doing good things in your body like boosting your metabolism. So, you have no excuses, right? For more ways to shape up, watch and share all our smart tips, right here.
Mike Clark, DPT is CEO of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He is a noted lecturer, author and is entering his 11th season as physical therapist for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
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