It is hard to get adults to exercise. It is even harder to get kids to exercise.
Historically, it has been difficult to get children to exercise. A combination of inexpensive junk food, shorter gym class and recess time, larger food portions, and increased time spent online has led to obesity epidemics in developed countries around the world, including among children.
There is a simple way to solve this epidemic. According to a new study published in the journal PLOS One, very short intervals of high-intensity physical activity could have a range of health benefits for children. These benefits include: lowering triglycerides and reducing body fat.
The study was led by Kathryn Weston, a senior lecturer in applied biosciences at Teesside University. The study was conducted with 1010 students from eight secondary schools in the Tees Valley region in northeast England. The students were divided into two teams: one that received high-intensity exercise and the other that received no exercise and was closely monitored. All of the students went through physical exams which measured blood fat, body fat, weight, blood pressure, glucose levels, and more.
At the end of the study, students who performed high-intensity exercise were in distinctly better shape than the control group and had lower blood pressure cholesterol, and more.
Click here to read more about the study,