New exercise research suggests that there is an ideal length to a workout. Interestingly, it may not be as long as you think. Indeed, there are times when a longer workout can be beneficial. Moreover, many people love a longer workout session to blast through their stress for the day. That said, for people who are seeking to focus on the ideal amount of time for fitness and burning calories, the ideal workout length is surprisingly short.
In fact, exercise research indicates that 13 minutes may be all you need at time. If you’re getting thirteen minutes per session, then you are likely getting all you need to be able to be worth the time and effort you’re putting into your workout.
What Did this Exercise Research Involve?
The exercise research was published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal. It followed 34 men who took part in any of three different types of exercise routine. Each of the three groups of participants completed the same seven exercises. Each of the participants also completed 8 to 12 reps of each exercise.
That said, the first group of participants did only one set of the exercises, which totalled thirteen minutes in length. The second group did two full sets of the moves, bringing them to 40 minutes. The third group completed the full sets of reps, which gave them a 70 minute workout.
What Did the Exercise Research Find?
The researchers – who were from the Bronx’s Lehman College – discovered that there wasn’t much difference at all among the results from each group. When it came to lost weight, those who exercised for 13 minutes lost about as much weight as those who did 40 minutes and who did 70 minutes of exercise.
The main difference found was in muscle mass. The study participants who exercised for only 13 minutes didn’t build as much strength and muscle mass as those in the 40 minute and 70 minute group. This could mean that, over time, those in the longer workout groups may end up losing weight more easily due to their bigger muscles – natural calorie burners. That said, for the length of the research, the measured difference was insignificant in terms of weight loss.
Therefore, the exercise research determined that if you are looking to bulk up your muscles (which can boost your metabolism), you’ll likely need to work out longer. However, if you are looking to stay fit, as long as you challenge yourself and do the right exercises, 13 minutes may be enough.
