Let me start by saying that I am already tired. I don’t want to be more tired. But I read a study that said short bursts of exercise with rest in between use more energy than steady exercise. This idea is interesting: maybe I can exercise better by taking breaks.
The study, published in a science journal, found that people used 20-60% more oxygen when they did short bursts of exercise, like walking for 10-30 seconds. The study author, Francesco Luciano, said that starting to walk from rest uses a lot of oxygen. It costs more energy for shorter bursts.
I decided to test this idea by walking to the post office, which is a little more than half a mile away. On the way there, I walked steadily. On the way back, I tried walking in bursts with breaks. But 30 seconds is not very long, so it was hard to keep this up.
I also learned that my dog did not like the breaks. She wanted to keep moving, not stop every 30 seconds. By the end of our walk, both of us were very tired!
Vocabulary List:
- Exercise /ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz/ (noun): Physical activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness.
- Bursts /bɜːrsts/ (noun): A short period of increased activity or intensity.
- Steady /ˈstɛdi/ (adjective): Regular consistent and stable over time.
- Energy /ˈɛnərdʒi/ (noun): The capacity to do work or produce change; power.
- Oxygen /ˈɒksɪdʒən/ (noun): A chemical element that is essential for respiration in living organisms.
- Tired /ˈtaɪərd/ (adjective): In need of rest or sleep; weary.