A single brisk walking session per week can yield significant reductions in abdominal fat and improvements in fitness, comparable to exercising three times a week, according to a study published in Nature Communications. The findings suggest that the total volume of exercise may be more important than how it is distributed throughout the week.
The four-month trial, conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, involved 315 adults with abdominal obesity, a condition characterized by the accumulation of deep visceral fat around the abdomen. Visceral fat poses a greater health risk than fat located elsewhere, as it surrounds vital organs and increases the likelihood of developing conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Participants were divided into three groups. One group engaged in a single 75-minute session of brisk walking interval training per week. Another group split the same 75-minute exercise duration into three shorter sessions spread across the week. A third group served as a control and did not exercise.
Body fat measurements, including total body fat mass, body fat percentage, and waist circumference, were taken before the study, immediately after its conclusion, and again four months post-study. The results at the 16-week mark indicated similar improvements in both interval training groups, demonstrating the efficacy of a once-weekly approach.
While waistline reductions persisted for at least four months after the exercise program ended, the broader fat-loss and weight-loss benefits had diminished by that point. The study observed no significant changes in blood pressure or cholesterol levels among participants, which the authors attributed to their participants' initial measurements being within a relatively normal range.
Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai, the study's lead researcher, highlighted that while thrice-weekly interval training is a common recommendation for obesity management, the findings indicate that a once-weekly regimen offers comparable benefits. He noted that time constraints are a significant barrier for many adults attempting to incorporate multiple exercise sessions into busy schedules. Consequently, he suggests that once-weekly interval training can be considered a practical and effective alternative to traditional high-frequency exercise prescriptions.
In the United Kingdom, approximately 66 percent of adults are classified as overweight or living with obesity, conditions linked to serious health risks including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory problems. The National Health Service recommends adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity weekly, such as brisk walking.