1-Minute vs. 45-Minutes

A recent article written by Gretchen Reynolds and published by the New York Times titled: 1 Minute of All-Out Exercise May Have Benefits of 45 Minutes of Moderate Exertion is interesting but also a bit misleading.  What the article goes on to explain and describe is a study done by scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.  Their sample size was small but consisted on 25 out-of-shape men and put them in three groups: a control group, a high-intensity exercise group, and a group that was to do moderate intensity exercise. 

The control group did not exercise.  The moderate intensity group exercised for 45-minutes three days per week for 12 weeks at just that, a moderate intensity on a stationary bicycle.  The high-intensity (or 1-minute group) exercised for actually 10-minutes.  Their workout consisted of a warm-up for two minutes on stationary bicycles, then they pedaled as hard as possible for 20 seconds followed by riding at a very slow pace for two minutes, they sprinted all-out again for 20 seconds; recovered with slow riding for another two minutes; pedaled all-out for a final 20 seconds; then cooled down for three minutes.

The results:  the scientists found that each exercise group had pretty much identical fitness gains (aerobic fitness & blood sugar control).  Read the article.  It is worth it and hyperlinked above.

SURELY, YOU CAN FIND 10-MINUTES!  Choose wellness and win your optimal health!

Be well on your journey,
MLC