Exercise: One Long or Three Short?

If you cannot do 30 minutes of continuous exercise every day, three 10-minute sessions spread over the day may be just as beneficial. According to a study published in the September issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, three 10-minute bouts of brisk walking over the course of a day are just as effective in improving the lipid profile by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and boosting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; 3 shorter daily exercise sessions were also just as effective in increasing aerobic ability as a single 30-minute session. Both approaches also produced similar decreases in tension and anxiety.