This once-a-week workout may help cut belly fat, study shows — SkimNews
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- HKUMed researchers found that 75 minutes of brisk interval walking completed in one weekly session reduced body fat, trimmed waistlines, and improved cardiorespiratory fitness about as effectively as three weekly sessions in a four-month trial.
- The randomized controlled trial enrolled 315 Chinese adults aged 18 or older with central obesity in Hong Kong and ran from September 2021 to September 2024.
- Both once-weekly and thrice-weekly interval training groups showed similar reductions in total body fat mass, body fat percentage, and waist circumference at the 16-week assessment compared with a control group that received health-education sessions.
- Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai, who led the study, said once-weekly interval training represents a practical exercise strategy for adults with central obesity who struggle to balance work, family and other commitments.
- The study, published in Nature Communications, used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure body fat at baseline, 16 weeks (post-intervention) and 32 weeks (follow-up).
- Central obesity — excess fat accumulated around the abdomen — is linked to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and higher risk of premature death, the researchers noted.
Why it matters: For the many adults with central obesity who cite time constraints as their primary barrier to exercise, this HKUMed trial of 315 participants showing equivalent fat-loss and fitness gains from one 75-minute session versus three offers a materially lower-friction option that clinicians could now prescribe as a legitimate therapeutic alternative to high-frequency workouts.
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