VIDEO: The Best Exercise for Weight Loss

To drop extra pounds, turn up your workout intensity—but only in short bursts

Transcript

This is Julian Whitaker, M.D., with a Whitaker Wellness Tip.

Now, slow and steady may win the race, but a burst of activity here and there produces better results.

Interval training—or alternating between low and high-intensity exercise when you're working out—burns more fat and calories than trekking along at a constant pace.

Researchers found that when people incorporated short sprints into their 20-minute jogs for 15 weeks, they burned three times more fat off their back sides and legs than those who jogged steadily for 40 minutes.

Interval training can done at all fitness levels. If you're a walker, try power walking for a minute or two every five minutes. If you jog, bike, or swim, bump up the intensity every few minutes for at least 60 seconds.

This is Julian Whitaker, M.D., assisting you in your personal quest for optimal health.

More Dr. Whitaker Advice on Weight Loss

• Why the mini-fast with exercise program works
• Mini-fast with exercise: daily routine at a glance
• Mini-fast with exercise clinical trial summary