Ever feel like you’re just too tired to work out? You might have to find another excuse. Researchers at the
University of Georgia
have found that getting regular, low-intensity exercise helps boost
energy levels. In a small study involving 36 previously sedentary
individuals, participants who exercised three times a week reported
feeling much less fatigue and more energy.
The
clinical study used volunteers who complained of consistent fatigue
that was not related to a medical condition. The subjects were randomly
divided into three groups: a control group that did not exercise, a
group that engaged in low-intensity aerobic exercise (the equivalent of
a leisurely walk) and a group that engaged in moderate-intensity
aerobic exercise (like a fast walk uphill). Participants exercised
three times per week for twenty minutes over the course of 6 weeks.
At
the end of the study, researchers found that both exercise groups
reported 20 percent more energy than the control group of
non-exercisers. Both groups also greatly reduced their levels of
fatigue. Interestingly enough, the low-intensity group made a bigger
dent in their fatigue levels (reporting 65 percent less fatigue) than
did the moderate group (49 percent). The study appeared in the February
issue of the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
Submitted by Sherri Meyer, MS, RD
Source: aicr.org
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