Effect of 7-minute workout on weight and body composition.

BACKGROUND: The 7-minute workout composed of aerobic and resistance exercises is becoming a very popular workout. It targets individuals with time constrains and low motivation to commit to lengthy and extensive workout programs. The objective of the study is to investigate if the 7-minute workout has a 6 week effect on body weight and composition.

METHODS: The training group (N.=29, age 18-30) did the 7-minute workout 7 days a week during 6 weeks while the control group (N.=29) did not perform the workout. Measurements such as height, weight, body mass index, circumferences (middle upper arm, hip, and waist), blood pressure, heart rate, hand grip, and bioelectrical impedance were collected and recorded at week 1, 3 and 6.

RESULTS: Mean BMI was 24.4kg/m2 at week 1, 24.01kg/m2 at week 3 (P=0.003). Waist circumference decreased between week 1 and 3 (P=0.003) and week 6 (P=0.01) by 4 cm on average. Hip circumference followed the same trend between week 1 and week 3 (P=-0.001). There was a decrease in fat mass and % fat mass between week 1, 3, and 6 (P=0.001). No changes were noted for mid-upper arm circumference or hand grip.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this research show that even a very short duration workout affect the nutritional status in normal weight individuals who did not change any of their eating habits. This implies that even in normal weight individuals who perform the 7-minute workout, improvement through a decrease in waist circumference can be achieved thus leading to a better cardio-protective nutritional status. The 7 minutes workout can be a great solution for people to get started and to plan on continuing exercising, as it is simple and of minimal constraints.