TAKE IT EASY: STUDY SAYS MODERATE EXERCISE BETTER THAN HARD-CORE WORKOUT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Couch potatoes rejoice: A new study suggests moderately paced, sustained activities promote weight loss more effectively than brief, high-intensity health club workouts based on the "no pain, no gain" mantra.

Walking, bicycling, even climbing stairs during TV commercials can contribute to weight loss if performed consistently, the researchers said. The activities can be as simple as parking at the far end of the mall and walking the long route to the store.

Other scientists said the finding is encouraging news for people who want to lose weight, but are intimidated by the effort, commitment and expense often required at gyms and workouts conducted by personal trainers.

"It's taking the couch potato and getting them to do something," said Ross Andersen, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, who has conducted similar research but did not participate in this study. "This is a way for people to accumulate activity for all days of the week."

Benefits of exercise burst

The study published recently in the journal Nature showed the best way to boost metabolic rates is through moderate exercise coupled with shorter stints of inactivity throughout the day.

Shawn Nesler, a fitness coordinator at St. Francis Universal Health and Fitness in Cape Girardeau, said that how a workout is designed depends on the person.

"Everybody is different," he said. "It depends what they want to do get muscle tones, or burn fat or calories."

Usually a trainer will set up a workout that combines the treadmill or bicycle and elements of an intense workout. The routine usually starts with five or 10 minutes on a bike or treadmill and then weights.

"If they want to tone or build, then we set them up on a cardiovascular routine for 20 or 30 minutes," Nesler said. "We recommend that they do the workout two or three days a week and three is better than two."

Nesler said many people like cardio or kickboxing classes because they combine both aerobic intensity and training too. Many people come in just for the classes and not a regular weight-training workout.

He said, "It's better than doing nothing."

Scott Givens, assistant manager of the Main Street Fitness and Wellness Center in Jackson, Mo., said that many people become more active during the spring and summer months and come to the gym to get in shape.

And the more people become active and fit, the more energy they will have, he said.

The people who come in to set up workout routines really vary. Some are concerned about losing weight or getting warmed up for summer sports season, while some are "tired of being lazy and being a couch potato," Givens said.

"Some have specific plans and are more intense and are really getting in and pushing harder to get better results in less time," he said. "You lose weight a little faster by doing strength and aerobic stuff."

Warmer weather and longer daylight hours always give people more incentive to exercise.

"Usually they come in for an hour and then are still doing something else," Givens said.

Study recorded movement

Klaas Westerterp of Maastricht University, The Netherlands, measured the activity levels of 14 women and 16 men during a two-week study. All were healthy, non-obese participants ages 22-32.

In the study, Westerterp measured the amount of energy expended by using a device that records movement, reviewing activities recorded in participants' diaries and analyzing urine samples collected from ingested energy-measuring isotopes.

He found the time distributed between low and moderate intensity activities is ultimately what determined how many calories were burned. The metabolic responses to moderate exercise suggest it's physiologically beneficial, researchers said.

"All these little movements, they add up," Westerterp said.

The research is similar to findings reported by Andrea Dunn, an exercise psychologist from the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas.

"We keep trying in our studies to have people think of things they really enjoy doing. It doesn't have to be a chore," Dunn said.

For obese people, it's often easier to maintain daily routines such as taking the stairs or short walks than sweating during high-intensity workouts at the gym. Those moderate-intensity routines result in keeping pounds off because they're easier to maintain.

Though experts caution there's no replacement for watching food intake and engaging in vigorous activity, most agree any exercise is better than none for helping reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

"Anything you do is fine," said Dr. Gerald Fletcher, physical cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. "If it's low intensity, do it more frequently but move around." Fletcher is a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

"Don't drive your car around the block -- get out and do something," he said. "It's less expensive than having to take pills after you have a heart attack."