Walking burns more fat than running

ISLAMABAD: Researchers have found that low-intensity exercise may burn more fat than high-intensity activities when it comes to shedding pounds. The findings were reported in the International Journal of Sports Medicine. The research team, led by Dr. Vassilis Mougios of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, randomly assigned 14 normal-weight and overweight women to one of two groups: one that exercised on a treadmill at a moderate pace, four times a week; and one that worked out at a more vigorous clip, also four times per week. The two group were placed on a three-month exercise regimen. The researchers set time period for the workouts so that women in both groups would burn 370 calories each time. After three months, exercisers in both groups were thinner, but the lower-intensity group lost more weight -- about 7 pounds, on average, compared with 4 pounds in the high-intensity group. Though women in the high-intensity group shed fewer pounds, they did retain more muscle mass than those who worked out more moderately, the researchers note. The researchers recommended that to get the greatest health and fitness benefits, people should strive for a mix of moderate and vigorous cardiovascular exercise, as well as strength training. There is no such thing as one "magic exercise," said lead study author Dr. Vassilis Mougios of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.