After a day at the office, I'd much rather grab cocktails with my girls than hit the gym. Plus, by the time I get there, change, and actually do my 45 or so minute workout, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and, the worst part, happy hour is long over.
Turns out that there's actually no need to slog through a long workout sesh—unless that's your thing. (It sure ain't mine!)
A recent study found that just a half hour of physical activity a day—doesn't have to be consecutive—is just as effective as a longer workout.
This totally jibes with new research showing that short bursts of activity can actually help increase your self-control impulses. In looking at 19 studies, researchers found that shorter bouts of exercise may increase the blood and oxygen flow to the pre-frontal areas of the brain, which is responsible for regulating things like willpower. Pretty cool, huh?
So, if you think about it, shorter workouts kinda kill two birds with one stone—you get the exercise you need, plus you are less apt to grab the Chunky Monkey as a post-workout reward. (Not that I've ever done that, of course.)