Dr Oz: Ideal Length of a Workout & Can You Cut Fat From Certain Areas?

Dr. Oz: How Long Should You Work Out?

Dr. Oz debunked several health myths today on the show. The first was that the longer you work out, the better the results. Is this really true?

Dr. Oz talked to Nicole, who said she’s a big exerciser and she likes to work out an hour and a half to two hours per day. She said she just had twins four months ago and she’s trying to get her pre-pregnancy body back. Dr. Oz said that this was actually a myth, which is remarkable because whatever Nicole was doing was working for her. She certainly did not look like she just had twins.

Dr. Oz: Working Out for 5 Minutes Vs. An Hour and a Half

Dr. Oz said we can workout for just five minutes instead of working out for an hour and a half. This is because when you work out an hour and a half every time, you might get better results more quickly, but after a while you start to hurt joints and wear yourself out. Then you don’t want to keep up with it anymore.

The research that just came out showed that five minutes of intense, rigorous exercise is all you need. Dr. Oz asked Nicole to run vigorously for five minutes and said he’d come back to her. When he came back, he said her pulse was at 120-130, the ideal range.

Dr. Oz: Can You Spot Reduce Fat in Certain Areas?

Dr. Oz said that spot reducing fat in certain areas was a myth. Another woman in the audience said she thought this was true. Dr. Oz said people want to believe it’s the case, but it just isn’t the case.

Dr. Oz explained that if you just work out your abs to get a six pack, the six pack may develop, but it’ll be trapped under a layer of fat. So you might never be able to see it.

Instead, you need to do a combination of cardio and strength training to exercise your whole body. Dr. Oz recommended spider walking like a child on the ground: four movements forward and four movements backward.