It sounds like a couch potato’s dream: new research has found one minute of intense exercise reaps many of the same health benefits as 50 minutes of moderate activity.
Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., made the discovery after comparing two test groups of formerly sedentary men.
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One group did the intense workout. It started with a two-minute warm-up, three 20-second bursts of intense activity, interspersed with a two-minute recovery period, and a three-minute cool down.
“You can think of it as sprint-from-danger pace. Or how hard you would cycle to save your child from an oncoming car,” said Martin Gibala, PhD., professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and senior author of the study.
“It’s very, very demanding, but it’s over very quickly.”
The other group completed 50 minutes of moderate exercise.
After 12 weeks the two groups were tested for cardio-respiratory fitness, which is the ability of your heart, lungs and blood vessels to deliver oxygen through the body, and insulin sensitivity, which is how well the body processes blood sugar.
“All of the key markers that we looked at improved after 12 weeks of training, but there was no difference overall between the two groups.
“The average improvement in fitness, in insulin sensitivity, was the same. Even though the interval group was performing five times less in total exercise and had a five-fold lower time commitment.”
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Intervals training is by no means a new thing; it’s a technique used by athletes for years.
Greg Wells, PhD., assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, says the study isn’t surprising, and it adds to a growing body of research that short, high-intensity interval training has positive effects on the body.
“The fact that it’s as little as one minute of exercise is beneficial is an interesting finding, but again not totally surprising given the fact that whenever we move our bodies there will be physiological benefits.”
But high-intensity training isn’t a quick fix, Wells cautions. High intensity training brings with it greater risk of injury, and people who are not typically physically active should ease into it.
Gibala agrees interval training isn’t a magic bullet; what you eat along with resistance training rounds out a fitness routine.
“With intervals I think it allows you a way to fit exercise into your life even if you only have ten or fifteen minutes in the day, you can still get in a high-quality workout,” he says.
The time crunch
Life gets busy, and for many exercise is the first thing to get cut from the schedule. That’s why experts agree interval training can be an ideal alternative to a full workout.
“The reason why this is so intriguing for people is we’re so time-crunched… It’s hard to prioritize exercise,” says Wells.
“The fact that there are benefits to be gained from these short workouts is very appealing for certain people.”
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The bottom line: any exercise is better than no exercise.
He says even 15 minutes a day of moderate walking can be “really, really good for you.”
“Every little bit counts.”
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Ultimately, the more options people have for their workouts, the better, because the more people enjoy physical activity the more likely they are to do it.
“Interval training can be widely applied,” says Gibala. “Even interval walking is superior to continuous walking.”
He recommends on your walk around the block, speed up as you pass a few light posts, then return to your normal pace.
“As slight a change as that seems — just a little bit faster, backing off a bit — that’s been shown to result in greater improvements in fitness, greater improvements in blood sugar and even greater changes in body composition. Instead of a steady state walking approach.”
The McMaster researchers aren’t trying to change the way everyone works out — they are just offering up another option.
“If we can give them some time-efficient options that are grounded in good science, we think that’s a worthwhile effort.”
Anyone who is starting a new exercise regimen should always speak with their doctor first, both experts say.
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