By Damien Gleadall-Siddall, University of Hull.
When it comes to exercise, what’s your excuse? Whether it’s lack of time, money or motivation – sometimes the lure of the sofa can just be too strong – it can be all too easy to put off that run for another day. But whatever your reason, it’s still recommended that adults aged between 19 and 64 should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise a week. This roughly works out at about half an hour of brisk walking or cycling five times a week.
While this doesn’t sound like a lot of exercise in the grand scheme of things, research shows that you could actually do even less exercise and still maintain a good level of fitness – with the use of high intensity interval training (HIIT).
Watch: Fitness guru Natalie Carter shares her tips for overcoming exercise burnout and finding motivation. Post continues after video.
A typical HIIT session involves doing multiple intervals, or bursts of relatively short, intense exercise separated by rest or light exercise, and can last anywhere between a few minutes, right up to half an hour. It tends to involve many forms of exercise such as cycling, running or even resistance based training. All of which can be completed in a typical gym or health club setting.
Top Comments
I haven't found anyone who can make it enjoyable yet though.