A new study from McMaster University shows that a short, intense workout may be just as effective as a longer, less intense workout. By having some people do short bursts of running at their full ability and others do longer lengths at a lower intensity, they found that the health benefits in the end were the same. The oxygen uptake and sugar control for both groups increased. This is great news for those of us who cite time constraints as the number one reason for not exercising. This means we can get the same benefits in less time.
Key Takeaways:
- New research from McMaster University, published online in the journal PLOS ONE, suggests a single minute of very intense exercise produces the same health benefits as longer endurance training.
- Researchers examined participants’ cardiorespiratory fitness, essentially their VO2 max, and insulin sensitivity, to measure how their bodies regulated blood sugar.
- After three months, all the athletes exhibited similar results and health benefits—even though the moderate-intensity continuous training involved five times as much exercise and a five-fold greater time commitment.
One minute of my-lungs-and-legs-are-burning-so-bad-I-might-vomit effort can substitute 45 minutes of something like that sad jog.
Read more: The 10-minute cycling workout that’s just as effective as a 50-minute routine
Leave a Reply