Once-a-week interval walking may help reduce belly fat, study finds
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong found that brisk interval walking once a week can reduce body fat and improve cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with central obesity. The benefits were similar to those from exercising three times weekly, according to a randomized trial.
A study led by researchers at the School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has shown that a single weekly session of brisk interval walking can effectively reduce body fat and boost cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with central obesity. The effects were comparable to those achieved with three sessions per week, the frequency often recommended in standard exercise guidelines.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that once-weekly interval training could serve as a practical option for people who struggle to fit multiple workouts into their busy schedules.
Between September 2021 and September 2024, the team conducted a randomized trial involving 315 overweight Chinese adults aged 18 or older, all with central obesity. Participants were divided into three groups: one performed interval training once a week, another three times a week, and a control group attended health education sessions every two weeks for four months.
Both exercise groups completed a total of 75 minutes of interval training per week, either in a single session or divided across three sessions. Body fat was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline, after 16 weeks, and at a 32-week follow-up.
At the 16-week mark, both exercise groups showed similar improvements. They reduced total body fat mass, body fat percentage, and waist circumference compared with the control group. They also demonstrated better cardiorespiratory fitness.
Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai, head of the Division of Kinesiology at HKUMed and lead author, noted that while thrice-weekly interval training remains a common prescription, their findings indicate once-weekly training offers similar benefits and is a feasible alternative for many adults. He pointed out that time constraints are a major obstacle for those with central obesity, and a once-weekly session could help overcome this barrier.
