Scientists say it helps you burn more calories

Are you trying to maintain a constant workout to burn calories? Consider taking low breaks during your walks rather than pushing for a long, uninterrupted session. Recent research suggests that low exercise sessions can lend a hand you burn more calories.

According to test published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, low walks or climbing stairs require more oxygen and energy compared to long walks.

In a study of ten participants, researchers examined how walking time affected the body’s energy operate by causing changes in mechanical effort, intensity, and time. Participants walked on the stairs for 10 to 240 seconds at different speeds (0.20, 0.25, and 0.36 m/s) and on the treadmill at a speed of 1.39 m/s.

The results indicated that walking or climbing stairs in bursts lasting 10 to 30 seconds required 20 to 60% more oxygen than walking the same distance in one continuous session. Scientists explain that this is because starting with rest requires more energy, while walking continuously uses less energy over time.

“Our findings show that time-averaged oxygen uptake and metabolic cost are greater for shorter than longer bouts: 30-second bouts consume 20-60% more oxygen than steady-state extrapolations. This can be partly explained by a proportionally greater non-metabolic oxygen uptake rate and leads to lower performance in shorter bouts. “Inferring metabolic costs from steady state significantly underestimates energy expenditure during low bouts,” the researchers wrote.

“When we walk shorter distances, we operate more energy and oxygen to cover the same distance. It’s like having a car that uses more fuel in the first few kilometers than later.” he said Francesco Luciano, first author of the study.

The study results provide encouraging news, especially for older adults or people with gait disorders who find long exercise sessions challenging, as low walking sessions can still provide health benefits.

“If we want to develop programs to promote physical activity or exercise for these people, we need to rethink how we estimate their energy needs and adapt. Understanding the energy requirements of low walks can lend a hand us promote physical activity in a more inclusive way, Lucjan said.