Less Exercise Can Equal More Weight Loss

Less exercise can give you better weight loss results, according to a new report from the University of Copenhagen. In fact, doing just 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day can help you lose a significant amount of weight, as long as you also eat a healthy diet.

Researchers studied a group of overweight men in their 20's and 30's. They found that, over the course of 13 weeks, those who followed a consistent "moderate-intensity" exercise routine lost a lot more weight than the ones who performed "high-intensity" workouts on a daily basis.

Experts aren't exactly sure what's going on here but a leading theory is that high-volume, high-intensity exercise leads to a big increase in hunger and calorie consumption. And it may actually cause you to underestimate how much food you're really eating overall. Also, study participants who did the high-intensity exercise tended to move a lot less at other times of the day, most likely due to exhaustion -- so they actually ended up burning fewer calories overall than the moderate exercisers.

The bottom line is that, in many cases, less exercise appears to lead to more weight loss. Moderate-intensity exercise doesn't cause the big hunger/appetite spikes, so you don't overeat. Also, it leaves you with enough energy to do things like take the stairs instead of the elevator. Of course, either way you need to do it on a consistent daily (or almost daily) basis in order to lose the weight efficiently.

We say: This is good news for us "moderate" fitness fans, but we know for a fact that there's a ton of health and fat loss benefits from doing a few high-intensity exercise routines every week -- especially if your goal is fast fat loss and muscle building/toning!

Learn some mo': For more weight loss, exercise less?