Conclusion: The type of exercise matters less than how much you enjoy it.
The U. Arizona physiologist Glen Gaesser and his team decided to get a little playful with their studies. From what I see, Dr. Gaesser’s research typically involves how the body reacts to training and other physical activity with some emphasis on monitoring various plasma levels, but perhaps for a lark they decided to duplicate the old Monty Python Ministry of Silly Walks skit and see how they compared to basic exercise.
Here is the skit if you’re unfamiliar with it:
They found the walk by “Mr. Teabag” in the skit did increase kcal expenditure of research participants, and even met the threshold for vigorous-intensity exercise. (Jogging, swimming, and jumping rope are classic examples of vigorous-intensity exercises.)
What I love about this is not only that they had a little fun, but also that they are reminding us of the importance of play.
Much of life is greatly benefited by having a playful approach. Exercise is certainly an area where this frequently applies. So find what you love, what you enjoy, and do that. And feel free to mix it up. Explore new things that you haven’t tried before, or revisit old exercises you used to enjoy or are more curious about. Try exercise buddies if that works for you, and/or group exercises — from team obstacle courses to team sports. Do whatever is fun and interesting for YOU.
To get your juices flowing, you have to get your juices flowing. (That phrase works, right?)
Here is a link to the research article in full.
Here is the article called in PubMed if the above link stops working.
