Gym-haters rejoice! A new study has found that you may no longer need to slog it out on a treadmill for hours and hours. Instead, shorter and more intense workouts may deliver greater results.
A New Era in Training
High-intensity interval training (known as HIT) is being touted as an effective way to get more out of your workout, in less time.
HIT involves a mix of high and low-intensity bursts of activity. And if the research undertaken by Professor Martin Gibala from Canada’s McMaster University proves true, it might have numerous benefits for people of all fitness levels.
What the Study Involved
The research involved studying the effects of short exercise bursts on active, but not athletic, people. They were instructed to cycle on an exercise bike at high resistance for several 30-second blasts. Between the bursts, the participants had four minutes rest. The set was repeated four to six times, three days a week.
Gibala found that after two weeks, the participants could cycle at high intensity for 51 minutes, double the amount of time from when they started.
Interestingly, the results were compared to those gained from 20 weeks of typical endurance exercise and the effects were essentially equal.
The Benefits of HIT
Gibala’s research, as well as numerous other studies since, showed that HIT may improve insulin sensitivity, boost muscle mass and improve performance.
In fact, a paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2009 found that runners who cut back on their training and instead undertook six to 12 30-second sprints, three to four times a week, had markedly improved race results.
How to do HIT
The great news is that getting fit no longer means spending hours at the gym. Of course, doing short bursts of high-intensity activity is no walk in the park, and you will certainly work up a sweat. But you’ll be in an out in far less time.
To try HIT for yourself, try running or cycling at high-intensity for 20 or 30 seconds, with a 10 second recovery in between. Repeat it for 6 to 8 rounds and try to fit it in to your schedule a few times a week.
A personal trainer can also advise you on the ideal HIT workout to suit your fitness goals.
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