Does Curves Work for Weight Loss?
By Imani Dada
If you’re a woman and thinking of joining a gym to fight off weight gain and get fitter, you may be wondering does Curves work for weight loss. After all, it has the reputation of being the world’s largest fitness franchise and a leading women’s fitness facility. But can it really back up that reputation?
Apparently it can, according to a research team from the Exercise and Sports Nutrition Lab at Baylor University. In a study published in 2006, the researchers found that the Curves workout allows even the fittest athletes to burn more than 500 calories in just 30 minutes. That’s equivalent to losing about one to 1 ½ pounds a week — without having to diet. If you’re less fit than a high-performance athlete, you can still burn 164 and 238 calories in 30 minutes.
Curves does work by increasing aerobic capacity, boosting metabolism and building muscle strength. As observed in the study, a key reason for its effectiveness is that women exercise at 80 percent of their maximal heart rate and 64 percent of their maximal oxygen uptake, which is just slightly lower than their anaerobic threshold.
In other words, it would not have been possible for them to burn more calories in 30 minutes during the Curves workout — or any other type of workout, according to Richard Kreider, lead author of the study. You don’t have to worry about being able to reach the intensity needed to burn off calories. As Kreider points out, another reason Curves does work is its unique ability to adjust automatically to your fitness level.
So based on the findings of this study, the answer to the question does Curves work is a resounding “yes.” The results it gives also motivates you to stick with it, while minimizing injury and allowing you to meet your weight loss, fitness and health goals.
3 Ways to Find Out If Curves Really Works for You
1. Get a trial membership first to test whether the gym, the workout and the culture of the facility is right for you.
2. Schedule your Curves workout at a time when you are most likely to have the energy to exercise, but make sure you go at your own pace.
3. Check out the 90-minute weight management program, which may increase the likelihood that Curves does work for you during the trial period.
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