There is no difference between continuous and accumulated patterns of exercise in terms of effects on fitness , blood pressure , lipids , insulin and glucose .
There is some evidence from a small number of studies that changes in body mass and LDL cholesterol are more favourable following the accumulated condition .
Collectively our findings suggest that adults are likely to accrue similar health benefits from exercising in a single bout or accumulating activity from shorter bouts throughout the day .
Public health guidelines suggest that physical activity can be accumulated in multiple short bouts dispersed through the day .
A synthesis of the evidence for this approach is lacking .
Our objective was to undertake a systematic review and meta- analysis to examine if exercise interventions consisting of a single bout of exercise compared with interventions comprising the same total duration , mode , and intensity of exercise accumulated over the course of the day have different effects on health outcomes in adults .
Training effects of short and long bouts of brisk walking in sedentary women.
This study compared the effects of short and long bouts of brisk walking in sedentary women . Forty seven women aged 44.4 + /- 6.2 yr ( mean + /- SD ) were r and omly assigned to either three 10-min walks per day ( short bouts ) , one 30-min walk per day ( long bouts ) or no training ( control ) . Brisk walking was done on 5 d x wk(-1 ) , at 70 to 80 % of maximal heart rate , typically at speeds between 1.6 and 1.8 m x s(-1 ) ( 3.5 and 4.0 mph ) , for 10 wk . Subjects agreed not to make changes to their diet . Twelve short-bout walkers  , 12 long-bout walkers , and 10 controls completed the study . Relative to controls , VO2max ( short-bout , + 2.3 + /- 0.1 mL x kg(-1 ) x min(-1 ) ; long-bout , + 2.4 + /- 0.1 mL x kg(-1 ) x min(-1 ) ; controls , -0.5 + /- 0.1 mL x kg(-1 ) x min[-1 ] ) and the VO2 at a blood lactate concentration of 2 mmol x L(-1 ) increased in walkers ( both P < 0.05 ) , with no difference in response between walking groups . Neither heart rate during st and ard , submaximal exercise nor resting systolic blood pressure changed in a different way in walkers and controls . The sum of four skinfold thicknesses decreased in both walking groups ( P < 0.05 ) but body mass ( short-bout , -1.7 + /- 1.7 kg ; long-bout , -0.9 + /- 2.0 kg ; controls , + 0.6 + /- 0.7 kg ) and waist circumference decreased significantly only in short-bout walkers . Changes in anthropometric variables did not differ between short- and long-bout walkers . Thus short bouts of brisk walking result ed in similar improvements in fitness and were at least as effective in decreasing body fatness as long bouts of the same total duration
There is no difference between continuous and accumulated patterns of exercise in terms of effects on fitness , blood pressure , lipids , insulin and glucose .
There is some evidence from a small number of studies that changes in body mass and LDL cholesterol are more favourable following the accumulated condition .
Collectively our findings suggest that adults are likely to accrue similar health benefits from exercising in a single bout or accumulating activity from shorter bouts throughout the day .
Public health guidelines suggest that physical activity can be accumulated in multiple short bouts dispersed through the day .
A synthesis of the evidence for this approach is lacking .
Our objective was to undertake a systematic review and meta- analysis to examine if exercise interventions consisting of a single bout of exercise compared with interventions comprising the same total duration , mode , and intensity of exercise accumulated over the course of the day have different effects on health outcomes in adults .