Monday, August 22, 2011

One Less Excuse to Not Exercise

A study appeared in the March 2010 issue of The Journal of Physiology revealing that you don’t have to go all out with your exercise regimen to be effective. The method of exercise referred to is called interval training. You may have heard of this. It not only takes less time, the method is easy to follow and does not require any special equipment. It also has been shown to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes as well as other diseases.

The study involved eight to twelve-one minute bursts of exercise on a stationary bicycle at a relatively low intensity and then a rest period of 75 seconds. The total time of the exercise session was 20 to 25 minutes. Although it was done on a stationary bicycle, this method can be used in whatever type of exercise you prefer. During the one minute bursts, the heart rate should be about 95% of maximum.

The participants in the study performed six sessions over 14 days. After this time they had shown the same benefits as traditional, long-duration endurance training. 

"What we've been able to show is that interval training does not have to be "all out" in order to be effective and time-efficient," says Martin Gibala, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. "While still a very demanding form of training, the exercise might be more achievable by the general public - not just elite athletes - and it certainly doesn't require the use of specialized laboratory equipment.”

So, we now have one less excuse for not exercising. Surely we can fit 20 to 25 minutes every other day into our life.

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