4 Simple, Life-Changing Facts About Exercise

Self Magazine

by Anna Maltby

Terry Doyle
Terry Doyle

Ok, you know SELFers are into working out--we bootcamp, we CrossFit, we Ironman--but even if you're not an extreme athlete, we say you get major props even if you just do a little. Science proves it! Below, four surprising facts about exercise.


1. Even super-slow running helps your heart, according to a brand-new study.
When you compare runners to people who don't run, the pavement-pounders are significantly less likely to die of cardiovascular-related causes-even if they're really slow or don't run far at all, reports TIME.

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2. A 30-minute workout could be more effective than a 60-minute one.
In one study, exercisers working for a half hour lost more weight after 13 weeks (7 pounds!) than those who hit the gym for a full hour--those guys only lost 5 pounds.

3. A coffee-break-length cardio session might cure anxiety.
After a group of sedentary women diagnosed with anxiety disorder did two 16-minute bouts of cardio per week for six weeks, a whopping 40 percent no longer met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety. That's according to a study from the University of Georgia in Athens.

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4. Quick and intense sequences burn crazy calories.
Tabata training (interval moves done for 20 seconds each for eight rounds, with a 10-second break between each round--four minutes of work, total) burns 13.5 calories per minute and doubles your metabolic rate for 30 minutes after your sweat sesh. You've got four minutes in your packed schedule--we're pretty sure of it.

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