Easier exercise—lots of gain, a lot less pain

“Feel the burn!” Jane Fonda used to exclaim to her aerobics disciples. “No pain, no gain.”

These were popular exercise mantras, embraced by many American fitness buffs. Yet these days, you won’t hear many health experts repeating them.

Exercise, obviously, is a good thing. But even if you aren’t a triathlete in training, you still have options.

Intense, painful exercise dragging on for hours at a time isn’t necessarily “better” than a more temperate approach.  In fact, engaging in just 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day has been associated with many significant health benefits, even when the 30 minutes are divided into several shorter workouts.

Given that many people are more likely to squeeze in exercise when it seems easier or less painful, “intermittent” exercise may be the best option for some folks.

What exactly is intermittent exercise?

Fitness experts have used the term somewhat loosely to describe several types of physical activity, namely interval workouts and short, separated bouts of exercise. The premise behind both is simple: Follow a brief period of exercise with a varying level or amount of rest.  And many researchers are beginning to sing its praises.

Indeed, in a new study of obese women, French researchers found that intermittent exercise was perceived as “less hard” than continuous exercise, even though the women still lost weight. The women first tried a continuous exercise program spending 32 minutes on an exercise bike, pedaling at a constant level. For the intermittent program, they alternated the intensity level every two minutes, varying between easier and higher intensity. The workouts were for the same amount of time and had an identical relative workload, but the intermittent program was described as easier and less monotonous by the participants.

“This finding permits us to suppose that intermittent exercise prescription rather than continuous exercise could probably increase the patients’ adherence to training programs,” the scientists concluded.

Traditionally, personal trainers and coaches encouraged people to engage in 20 to 60 minutes of continuous, vigorous exercise. But there are studies that have found that a lengthy workout session isn’t always necessary. As an example, research from the University of Missouri-Columbia demonstrated that intermittent exercise may be more effective than continuous exercise at lowering artery-blocking fat in the bloodstream in people exercising just 30 minutes.

Participants in this study were best able to reduce their triglyceride levels by engaging in short, separated bouts of exercise rather than one continuous workout. The intermittent program entailed three, 10-minute mini workouts separated by 20-minute rest periods.

Another study suggested that intermittent exercise might be “superior” to continuous exercise for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

How much exercise do you need? Guidelines have varied, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week, or spending 20 minutes three days a week engaging in vigorous intensity activities such as jogging or running. Strength training twice a week is also advised. The American Heart Association has similar recommendations, but has additional suggestions for seniors or people with chronic health conditions.

You might be surprised to learn what constitutes moderate activity. Walking the dog, playing Frisbee and working in the garden can all help you meet your exercise quota. And you won’t have to “feel the burn” to reap the benefits.

Walking the dog for just 30 minutes burns about 100 calories. Done daily, you would lose about 10 pounds in a year. No weight gain – and definitely no pain.