Diabetes Health in the News: Exercise Time (Not Intensity) Key in Weight Loss

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A recent study completed at Duke University examined the benefits of walking and jogging when it comes to weight loss. The study involved 120 obese or overweight participants who were randomly assigned to either one of three different exercise programs, or a control group that did not exercise. After six months it was found that the group who walked 11 miles per week had lost the same amount of weight (3 pounds) as the group that jogged 11 miles per week.

The major difference between the groups was the amount of time their exercise took them: the walking group spent 3 hours per week exercising while the jogging group only needed 2 hours to burn the same amount of calories. Therefore, it was determined that intensity doesn’t have a significant effect on fat or weight loss. What really matters is the duration and the number of total calories burned.

These findings were published in Tallahassee Democrat on January 11, 2016.

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