Few people can deny the importance of exercise to overall health. However, when it comes to intensity, there are differing schools of thought as to which is best. One study seeks to determine if shorter, intense workouts are more beneficial than longer, moderate workouts.

In a sophisticated new study of interval training, results indicate that just 60 seconds of strenuous exertion proved to be as beneficial in improving health as 45 minutes of moderate exercise.

Scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario decided to conduct a study comparing super-short and more standard workouts.

The study was conducted by recruiting 25 out of shape young men and measuring their aerobic health and as a snapshot of overall fitness, their body’s ability to use insulin properly to regulate blood sugar levels. Muscle tissue was also biopsied to determine how well their muscles performed on a cellular level.

The men were then divided into three separate groups. One group was the control and were asked not to change anything about their virtually non-existent exercise routines. The second group performed 45 minutes of moderate exertion on a stationary bicycle with a 2-minute warm-up and a 3-minute cool down. The third group performed a 10-minute interval exercise routine consisting of 20-second bursts of speed, broken up by two minutes of a slower pace on the bicycle.

Both groups of exercisers completed a total of three sessions a week for 12 weeks.

At the end of the experiment, when scientists retested the men’s aerobic fitness, muscles, and blood-sugar control, they found that the gains were virtually identical.

The study substantially proves that three months of concerted endurance or interval exercise can noticeably – and identically – improve a person’s health.

The only benefit that one form of exercise held over the other was that one was much, much shorter.

The study effectively proves that there are health benefits to be gained from just one minute of intense exercise.

If you have a fitness goal, whether it is to lose weight or simply to get into better shape, contact personal trainer Frank Tortorici. As a certified personal trainer, Frank has the knowledge and experience to help you meet your fitness goals. Contact him today for an appointment.