--- title: Workout Weight Loss: Cardio Intensity Affects Outcomes description: A high intensity workout may do a better job decreasing blood sugar level than lower intensity exercise, according to a study. canonical: https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-03T01:38:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:18.056Z article:section: Health og:title: The Best Workout for Weight Loss og:description: A high intensity workout may do a better job decreasing blood sugar level than lower intensity exercise, according to a study. og:url: https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Best Workout for Weight Loss twitter:description: A high intensity workout may do a better job decreasing blood sugar level than lower intensity exercise, according to a study. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The Best Workout for Weight Loss ## Video: TIME Men Attempt The Aerospace Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Workout [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Men Attempt The Aerospace Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Workout](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/8UzZSNUB.m3u8) (1:32)  _Published 2013-12-10. TIME takes a look at just how difficult it is to get runway ready with fitness expert Michael Olajide Jr., trainer of Victoria's Secret angels including Adriana Lima and Doutzen Kroes._  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 3, 2015 1:38 AM CUT  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Mar 3, 2015 1:38 AM CUT Everyone knows that cardio exercise—by way of a bike ride or a sprint—is key to weight loss. But a high-intensity cardio workout may do a better job of decreasing blood sugar levels than lower intensity exercise, according to a new [study](http://annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M14-1189 "undefined") in _Annals of Internal Medicine._ The study assigned 300 obese people to a group: one that exercised with low intensity for long periods of time or another that engaged in high-intensity workouts for short durations. By the end of six months, people in both groups experienced similar levels of weight loss. But those who had exercised with higher intensities saw reduced two-hour glucose levels, a key measure for predicting conditions like heart disease and stroke. People in the high-intensity group saw a 9% improvement in glucose tolerance, compared to a negligible change in people who took part in low-intensity exercise. ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. 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Getty Images Increasing the intensity of a workout isn’t beyond the reach of most exercisers, according to lead study author Robert Ross, a researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. “Higher intensity can be achieved simply by increasing the incline while walking on a treadmill or walking at a brisker pace,” Ross says. **Read more:** [This Is How Much Exercise Experts Think You Really Need](http://time.com/3677063/exercise-recommendations-unrealistic/ "undefined") Still, while high-intensity exercise may have some unique health benefits, the study showed that any exercise is better than none. People who exercised lost 5-6% of their body weight, a 4- to 5-centimeter reduction in waist size. The study challenges the way public health officials tend to think about the health benefits of exercise. Health organizations often issue guidelines based on time spent exercising. Instead, the study suggests, health officials should consider intensity as well. **Read more:** [The 50 Healthiest Foods of All Time](http://time.com/3724505/50-healthiest-foods/ "undefined") _Read next:_ [_The Best Workout Move You’re Not Doing_](http://time.com/3675558/best-workout-move/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/"},"headline":"The Best Workout for Weight Loss","datePublished":"2015-03-03T01:38:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:18.056Z","description":"Why intensity matters in exercise","url":"https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/","keywords":["Exercise & Fitness","Obesity","Weight loss","diabetes","Workout","Diet & Nutrition","workouts"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/exercisefitness/","name":"Exercise & Fitness"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/","name":"The Best Workout for Weight Loss"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Men Attempt The Aerospace Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Workout","description":"TIME takes a look at just how difficult it is to get runway ready with fitness expert Michael Olajide Jr., trainer of Victoria's Secret angels including Adriana Lima and Doutzen Kroes.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/8UzZSNUB/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2013-12-10T05:30:45.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/8UzZSNUB.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/","duration":"PT1M32S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3728836/workout-intensity/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```