Quick‑Fit Workouts Cut Fat and Lower Blood Pressure in Obese College Students

A new study examined how short bursts of exercise, called “exercise snacking, ” affect weight and heart health in 100 overweight college students. The participants were split into two equal groups: one group did brief high‑intensity intervals and a mixed cardio session each day, while the other ran for 45 minutes at a steady pace that burns fat. Both groups lost weight, had lower body mass indexes, and shed belly fat after 12 weeks. Only the group that performed short bursts saw a rise in muscle mass and a notable drop in arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave speed.Blood tests also showed that the exercise‑snack group had lower levels of resistin, a hormone linked to inflammation and insulin resistance. For male students, higher resistin after training was tied to stiffer arteries and less muscle gain. Female students showed a similar trend, though the link with belly fat was weaker and not statistically strong. Overall, brief high‑intensity sessions appear to be a powerful tool for improving body shape and heart function in young adults who are overweight.