Smart science to get you fitter and stay motivated

Jane Symons helps you get in step with the latest science to make the most of your workout

So many of us are filled with good intentions and resolutions to improve health and fitness in the new year – yet we run out of steam by the middle of January. But the latest science to maintain motivation and make the most of workouts can help us break this cycle.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a couch potato who needs to get moving, or you’re already active and want to boost your exercise returns, the latest research and expert tips will set you up for success.

Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, many cancers, arthritis, depression and dementia, in part because it also lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation and body fat.

Yet research for Deep Heat and Deep Freeze shows four in five adults should do more exercise and 88 per cent admit lack of motivation is a challenge. The good news is, it’s never too late to start, and even small improvements deliver big gains.

Recent studies show that adding just 3,000 steps to your daily count will lower blood pressure in just 20 weeks. And just 30 minutes of low intensity activity three times a week improves brain function and cognition in older adults over the same time frame.

Here we spotlight the science and share tips from leading exercise experts to reveal how to maximise the benefits of getting active.

Start right

If you are not already active, Eef Hogervorst, a professor of biological psychology at Loughborough University, advises: “Start slowly, but make sure you challenge yourself without damaging yourself.”

If you already exercise regularly and want to improve, Elyn Marwick, personal trainer and elite strength competitor suggests: “Have one or two sessions a week where you push your body to its limits, then days when you work for a longer time but not as hard.”

Find your zone

Don’t rely on the fat-burning zone when it comes to exercise machines, say scientists at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine. It’s based on estimated heart rates – which they discovered vary a lot in people of similar height, weight and age.

Instead, look at your eyes. A recent study found that the more your pupils dilate during exercise, and the longer this black area is enlarged, the greater the cognitive improvement your exercise is delivering.

Get snacktive

Short bursts of exercise, or snacktivity as sports scientists describe it, can lead to significant fitness benefits.

A recent study in The Lancet Public Health found that moving consistently for one to three minutes reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke by 29 per cent. Even bursts of less than a minute will help, so long as you’re breathless for at least 15 per cent of that time.

If you’re already active, try Fartlek – speed play in Swedish – training.

Elyn explains: “Typically this is a training session of around 45 minutes, punctuated by bursts of high intensity such as a cyclist sprinting for one block and coasting the next, or alternating running and walking. This prevents lactate building up in muscles and is a good way to avoid your routine becoming boring.”

Weighty matters

Don’t expect to lose weight with exercise alone. Sports nutritionist Nigel Mitchell, who has worked with the GB cycling team and endurance athletes, says: “A person of average weight has to run a mile to burn 100 calories, and to lose a pound in body weight they would need to run 35 miles.”

But it will help because researchers at Imperial College London have shown 30 minutes of high intensity exercise reduces hunger by releasing the same hormones that are activated by eating carbohydrates.

Physiotherapist and body builder Sammy Margo advises: “Calorie restriction can lead to muscle loss, and we also lose muscle as we get older. So it’s important to do strength training to maintain muscle.” She suggests wearing light weights on your ankles and wrists while you exercise. Or use a resistance band and try the Loughborough University Couch Potatoes for Cognition exercises developed by Professor Hogervorst.

Warm reception

Japanese researchers have shown that raising the temperature of muscle tissue before a workout will enhance performance. Try applying a warming muscle balm, particularly to areas with injuries or aches.

Reps appeal

If you want to increase muscle strength, weights are the way to go, with the biggest gains coming from lifting the heaviest weights.

But research from Bristol Medical School found that lifting lighter weights to the point of exhaustion – potentially 20 to 30 reps – also produces significant gains. If you want to build muscle, repetitions are more important than weight. Nigel adds that pistachios are a perfect postexercise snack as they contain the complex proteins and fats needed to build and repair muscle.

Perfect your times

Data from the Deep Heat and Deep Freeze Fitness Wellness Tracker shows a third of UK adults exercise in the morning and 22 per cent in the evening, but science reveals timings should be tailored to your goal. Exercising between 7am and 9am is best if you’re hoping to lose weight – largely because morning exercise is associated with healthier food choices, according to a recent study published by the Obesity Society.

But if you have diabetes, evening exercise is better for blood glucose control and maintain movement during the day by breaking sitting time up with short bursts of snacktivity and factor in resistance exercise.

Step back

Walking backwards has been shown to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and reduce body fat more effectively than forward walking, with sports scientists suggesting this is probably because it uses muscles in a different way.

Another study found that just 10 minutes of backwards walking three days a week for six weeks strengthens the thigh muscles and reduces knee pain, while a third found it eases chronic back pain in eight weeks.

‘‘ For building muscle, repetition is more important than weight