This article is from the WebMD Medical News Archive

Aug. 6, 2004 -- Get ready to scratch "I don't have the time" off your list of reasons not to exercise. As little as three 10-minute sessions per day is all it takes for new exercisers to start seeing results.

Several short, moderate- to hard-intensity exercise sessions are more effective at lowering triglyceride blood levels than one long workout, according to new research from Southwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri.

After a high-fat meal, prolonged elevations in triglycerides, a type of blood fat, can increase the risks of heart disease and atherosclerosis. These fats have also been linked to lowered levels of good HDL cholesterol.

In a study published in journal of Medicine and Science In Sports and Exercise, researchers studied seven men and 11 women aged 18 to 45. None were fitness buffs before the experiment, which called for a vigorous treadmill workout followed by a high-fat meal.

Participants tried two different approaches -- one 30-minute session or three 10-minute sessions with 20-minute breaks. The three 10-minute workouts did a better job of lowering triglycerides after the high-fat meal. The reason may be that the 10-minute workouts boosted metabolism during the rest periods; this would help break down fats from the meals.

That means beginning exercisers don't need a big block of time for fitness. Ten minutes, three times a day can do the job.

"If we can encourage people to be active and accumulate at least 30 minutes of exercise in 10-minute bouts each day, it will have a positive effect on health overall, and more specifically, on the amount of fat in the bloodstream," says researcher Thomas Altena, EdD, in a news release.

If you're already following a fitness plan, there's no need to change it. Because the study was based on people who hadn't been exercising regularly, results might differ for active people.

SOURCE: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, August 2004. News release, American College of Sports Medicine.

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