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Better health in 10-minute "sparks" Uva Researcher Discovers
A No-Excuses Method Of Exercising That Could Change Your Life
February 6, 2001 -- What if a body -- anybody -- only had to exercise regularly for 10 minutes at a time to achieve and sustain cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, weight and vitality? That's what University of Virginia exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser proposes in his new book, "The Spark: The Revolutionary 3-Week Fitness Plan That Changes Everything You Know About Exercise, Weight Control, and Health," co-written with Karla Dougherty and published by Simon & Schuster. Quick, vigorous bursts of exercise for a duration of 10 minutes, done 15 times a week, bring the same total health and fitness benefits as a solid hour in the gym three days a week -- with measurable results in just three weeks, he says. "That is a concrete, thoroughly documented, scientifically and medically sound guarantee," says Gaesser, who continues to study the benefits of this new approach with U.Va. students and employees. Gaesser explains precisely why "sparking" works, stressing that the body starts burning fat during the very first minute of exercise. He offers an alternative to the time-consuming traditional fitness formula decreed by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1998, which advises exercise at heart-pounding, sweat-inducing intensity for 20 minutes to a full hour, three to five days a week, plus spending days off lifting weights and squeezing in a hour somewhere for stretching. This grueling workout regimen has made millions feel defeated -- or too intimidated to even attempt it, the authors say. Although Gaesser, a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, co-authored the fitness regimen, he realized soon afterward that it was an unrealistic expectation for many people working full-time at sedentary jobs. Having studied athletes, such as long-distance runners and swimmers, who divide their rigorous workouts into shorter segments, he decided to adapt that idea for non-athletes. He put together a new plan to see if short bouts of physical activity could provide the same health benefits. His study showed results in just three weeks: a 10 to 15 percent improvement in aerobic fitness among middle-aged men and women; an increase in strength and muscular endurance from 40 percent to 100 percent; and a 15-point drop in total cholesterol -- even higher for high-risk participants. The book aims to help individuals make the commitment to improving their health and feeling good about it. Filled with testimony from "Spark" converts, it also includes co-author Dougherty's story of making the remarkable transition from couch potato to marathon bicyclist at the age of 50. Contact: Katherine Jackson, (804) 924-3629 |
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