Improving fitness levels and reducing body fat may not require multiple weekly workouts after all. A new study conducted by researchers at the LKS Faculty of Medicine’s School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong suggests that brisk interval walking performed just once a week can deliver meaningful health benefits for adults with central obesity.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, showed that participants who completed a single weekly session of interval exercise achieved reductions in body fat and improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness comparable to those seen among individuals exercising three times per week.
Researchers say the results point to a more flexible and time-efficient approach to physical activity, offering a practical solution for people who struggle to maintain a regular exercise schedule because of work, studies, or family commitments.
Interval training involves alternating short bursts of higher-intensity effort with periods of lower-intensity activity. Previous research has highlighted its effectiveness in reducing both overall body fat and visceral fat, which is closely linked to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and increased mortality risk.
The clinical trial, carried out in Hong Kong between 2021 and 2024, involved 315 overweight adults with central obesity. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a once-weekly interval training group, a three-times-weekly interval training group, and a control group.
After 16 weeks, both exercise groups recorded similar reductions in fat mass, body fat percentage, and waist circumference. They also demonstrated significantly better cardiorespiratory fitness compared with the control group.
According to lead researcher Professor Parco Siu Ming-fai, while three weekly exercise sessions remain a commonly recommended strategy for managing excess body fat, the new evidence suggests that a single weekly interval workout can offer comparable benefits and may represent a realistic alternative for individuals with limited time or demanding schedules.