Quality Versus Quantity Can Impact Your Exercise Results

We’ve been approaching exercise wrong.

While many people opt not to exercise due to a busy work or home schedule, a new study suggests that people shouldn’t be so concerned with the length of their physical activity. They should focus on how it’s carried out.

According to researchers from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, the quality of fitness is more important than quantity. The study was recently published in The Journal of Applied Physiology.

In order to arrive at this conclusion, the study’s chief investigator exercise scientist, Paul Arciero, apportioned nearly 60 men and women volunteers into three groups. While they all got the same amount and type of nutrition over the 16-week period, each group performed different exercises. One group did no exercise at all. Another group did intense aerobic activity four times per week. The final group did several different types, including resistance training, sprint exercises and stretching. Researchers referred to this form as multidimensional.

At the conclusion of the four-month trial, it was the multidimensional group that saw the most results from training. They saw great reductions in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference, among other physical assessments.

“It’s not about simply doing more exercise,” said Arciero. “It’s about doing the appropriate range of exercises and activities that most effectively promote health and fitness.”

Exercise should combine weight training with aerobics

In order to stay healthy and gain the most benefit from physical activity, exercise can’t be confined to one regimen. Well-being is optimized through a multidimensional exercise strategy combining aerobic and anaerobic fitness like running and weightlifting, respectively.

Exercise science and nutritional experts agree on this one thing. The best way to maintain or lose weight is by combining physical activity with a well-balanced diet. Judy Caplan, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said that nuts are particularly ideal for weight management.

“Their mix of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber will help you feel full and suppress your appetite,” said Caplan, according to Health.com.

When diet isn’t enough, a fish oil supplement like Omax3 provides key nutrients that may help avoid health risks. It may help avoid diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Results may vary, but in clinical studies, people who have used Omax3 have been able to get their cholesterol within a more normalized range.

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