This once-a-week workout may help cut belly fat, study shows

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Hong Kong has found that engaging in brisk interval walking once a week can help reduce belly fat and improve cardiovascular fitness in adults with central obesity. The findings, published in Nature Communications, suggest that the once-weekly interval walking regimen is just as effective as the traditionally recommended three times per week exercise schedule.

Central obesity, characterized by excess weight around the abdomen, is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and premature death. Interval training, which alternates between high-intensity and lower-intensity exercise, has been shown to be an efficient way to reduce overall body fat and visceral fat compared to continuous moderate-intensity exercise.

While most exercise recommendations suggest interval training three times per week, this study demonstrates that a single weekly session can yield comparable results. The research, led by Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai at HKUMed, involved 315 Chinese adults aged 18 or older who were overweight and had central obesity. Participants were divided into three groups: one group performed interval training once per week, another performed it three times per week, and a control group engaged in a health education session twice a week.

Both exercise groups completed 75 minutes of interval training each week, with one group doing it all in one session and the other dividing the sessions. After 16 weeks, both interval training groups showed similar improvements in reducing total body fat mass, body fat percentage, and waist circumference, as well as enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness compared to the control group.

Professor Siu emphasized that the study supports once-weekly interval walking as a practical therapeutic option for adults with central obesity, particularly those who find it difficult to fit multiple workouts into their schedules.