Weekly interval walking matches thrice-weekly routine in cutting belly fat

A four-month trial in Hong Kong found that 75 minutes of brisk interval walking once a week reduces body fat and waist size as effectively as the same total time spread over three sessions.

In a randomized controlled trial conducted from September 2021 to September 2024, 315 Chinese adults with central obesity were divided into three groups: one performed 75 minutes of brisk interval walking in a single weekly session, another split the same amount across three weekly sessions, and a control group attended bi-weekly health-education meetings. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements taken at baseline, 16 weeks and 32 weeks showed that both exercise groups achieved similar reductions in total body fat, body-fat percentage and waist circumference, as well as gains in cardiorespiratory fitness, compared with the control group.

Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai highlighted that the once-weekly format offers a practical option for individuals constrained by work or family commitments. The study, published in Nature Communications, was funded by Hong Kong research grants and underscores the potential of a “weekend warrior” approach for managing central obesity.