Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Short on Time? You Can Still Exercise

Whether you're a kid or an adult, the excuse of "no time to exercise" is a common one. But a recent study published in The Journal of Physiology, suggests that short bursts of intense exercise (six 30-second bursts of exercise separated by 4 minutes of recovery) had the same impact on muscle health as did a one-hour session of moderate activity (such as moderate-intensity cycling or walking).

The subjects of the study were college-aged students. One group performed the "bursts" of intense exercise each day over a two-week period of time, while the second group performed 90-120 minutes of moderate daily exercise. At the end of the two weeks, the first group had exercised only 2.5 hours, while the second had performed 10.5 hours of total exercise. Yet both groups showed similar improvement in exercise performance and muscle health.

Although the quick method of exercise is time efficient, it is also very difficult and demanding.

Posted By: Lori S