Newswise — According to Let’s Move the initiative by First Lady Michelle Obama to “raise a healthier generation of kids,” over the past three decades obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. These numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese.
Is this rise in obesity from a lack of energy? Ask any parent and the answer would likely be “No! I wish I had the energy of my kids.” So, a reasoning mind would ask: What is causing this exponential rise in obesity that will likely result in diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer or asthma in our young population if not addressed?
“The problem is two-fold. First, exercise is often viewed by adults as a chore and children learn by example not words. If we are telling our kids to get out and play while we are sitting on a computer or watching TV, our actions are speaking louder than our hypocritical words. Kids don’t miss the message,” say co-authors Dian Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel of the new book TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (BSH, 2011). “Second, comes the fact that much of P.E. is old-school. There is plenty of new data touting the benefits of exercise that is brief yet intensive. As school budget tighten, gym is often the first cut. Yet, fitness doesn’t have to go too.”
Brief, intense workouts offer a time-efficient alternative, according to a study just published in the American Journal of Human Biology, by Duncan Buchan, of the University of the West of Scotland. The study involved 57 school children assigned to either moderate-intensity or high intensity sessions, three times per week for seven weeks. The moderate-intensity group ran steadily for 20 minutes each session for a total of 420 minutes of exercise. The high-intensity group did a series of 20-meter wind sprints for just 3 minutes per session for a total of only 63 total minutes of exercise. Both groups showed significant improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness, insulin resistance, body composition and blood pressure. Blood pressure improvement was actually greater in the high-intensity group. For high-intensity group participants, all these benefits were achieved with only 15% of the exercise time and a 20.5% less calorie expenditure compared to the moderate-intensity group (4410 kcal vs. 907 kcal).
“These findings certainly appear to demonstrate that brief, intensive exercise is a time-efficient means for improving cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents,” says Tom Griesel.
Dian Griesel, a working mother of two elaborates, “Considering our busy lives, shorter more intense exercise sessions may be just what the doctor and our schedules ordered for both our children and ourselves. However the simple directive: ‘Get out and play’ is just as essential.”
The Griesel’s conclude: “Exercise can be both quick and effective. Intensity is important, but some serious ‘child’s play’, regardless of age, is essential, healthful, relaxing and fun.”
To purchase a copy of TurboCharged, please visit: www.amazon.com/dp/1936705001
For more information about the book and authors Dian and Tom Griesel, please visit: www.turbocharged.us.com
RSS