For weight loss, every extra minute of physical activity can help: When it comes to losing weight through exercise, the activity’s intensity may be more important than its duration. Even very brief periods (less than ten minutes) of intense physical activity can help prevent weight gain, a new study shows. According to researchers, “every minute spent engaging in high-intensity, short bouts of exercise was linked to a .07 decrease in body mass index (BMI).” Consequently, “each minute of high intensity exercise was associated with a 5 percent decreased chance for obesity in women and a 2 percent decreased chance for obesity in men.