Just 10 minutes of "brisk" exercise could result in metabolic changes in your body for up to an hour, according to new findings by a team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, published in Science Translational Medicine.

"We found new metabolic signatures that clearly distinguish more-fit from less-fit individuals during exercise," said Dr. Gregory Lewis of the MGH Heart Center, and the study's lead author, in a news release. "These results have implications for the development of optimal training programs and improved assessment of cardiovascular fitness, as well as for the development of nutritional supplements to enhance exercise performance."

When looking at 70 healthy people on treadmills, researchers found that more than 20 metabolites—chemicals involved in fat burning and blood-sugar control—changed during the exercise. Some of the changing metabolites had not previously been linked to exercise at all.

The bad news? It seems as though people who are more physically fit experience greater benefits—which may be a bit discouraging for fitness newcomers. According to the study, thinner people appeared to burn more fat than those who were less fit. So, does this mean that if you get back in shape, you'll reap more fat-burning benefits from exercise? Here's what Dr. Robert Gertzen, the study's senior author, told the Associated Press:

"We have a chemical snapshot of what the more fit person looks like. Now we have to see if making someone's metabolism look like that snapshot, whether or not that's going to improve their performance."

The bottom line is, exercise is going to benefit your health, whether you're already fit or still trying to get there. From a healthier heart to a decreased risk of diabetes, there are already plenty of great reasons to get more active. After all, even the ultra-fit need to start somewhere.

Does this news encourage you to up your fitness level to enjoy greater benefits? Will it change the way you think about working out?

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