yawn - this week's submission from the gym industry encouraging folks to 'go to the gym'
nah - been there - watched a lot of money go down the drain over two years for all the visits I (and most people) didn't make - don't need it - thanks anyways ...
3
It's disappointing to see a news organization of the caliber of the NYT keep trying to justify short workouts with fad research. Amongst athletes, these articles are often shared...as an example of what not to do.
3
And those athletes are scientists too?
I mean, yes, let's completely ignore the research performed by scientists who have studied the human body and how it works, who are probably athletes themselves, and listen to only athletes on their personal views, without any kind of research.
Excuse me, but I've heard many misguided and dangerous opinions on how you should do exercise from athletes.
I mean, yes, let's completely ignore the research performed by scientists who have studied the human body and how it works, who are probably athletes themselves, and listen to only athletes on their personal views, without any kind of research.
Excuse me, but I've heard many misguided and dangerous opinions on how you should do exercise from athletes.
18
Two points I'll make:
1) There are a ton of HIIT workouts out there. I personally like working out, but forthe HIITs I find I like to switch up a lot so I can't anticipate them. I dread them if I know exactly I am going to spend even 3 minutes doing burpees for instance.
2) Gretchen mentions the stationary bike in regards to a gym membership. I used to bike quite a lot, (not so much anymore), but when I did, I had a resistance trainer, which you lock the front wheel of your own bike into and you can bike in place inside and dial up resistance. If you have even a crappy bike, you can get one for $50-$100 and you are good to go. Again - no excuse- great for winter, and you don't even have to leave the house.
1) There are a ton of HIIT workouts out there. I personally like working out, but forthe HIITs I find I like to switch up a lot so I can't anticipate them. I dread them if I know exactly I am going to spend even 3 minutes doing burpees for instance.
2) Gretchen mentions the stationary bike in regards to a gym membership. I used to bike quite a lot, (not so much anymore), but when I did, I had a resistance trainer, which you lock the front wheel of your own bike into and you can bike in place inside and dial up resistance. If you have even a crappy bike, you can get one for $50-$100 and you are good to go. Again - no excuse- great for winter, and you don't even have to leave the house.
4
There's a smart-gym in Nashville, TN called Quantify Fitness that leverages some of the science from Gibala, as well as Doug McGuff's, Body by Science, to provided one 10 minute workout done once a week. The equipment is cutting edge (perfect resistance for the full range-of-motion) and has software to track every workout so you can measure your improvements in strength and intensity over time. It's not for everyone, but for people that have busy hectic lives, it's a great way to remove the biggest obstacle to exercise, which is lack of time, and get the benefits of effective exercise.
5
.
how about climbing stairs?
they are everywhere....in office buildings, etc
maybe go up and down some stairs as fast as possible (taking care to not stumble!, of course)
what do you think?
.
how about climbing stairs?
they are everywhere....in office buildings, etc
maybe go up and down some stairs as fast as possible (taking care to not stumble!, of course)
what do you think?
.
6
I run, but for enjoyment as much as for a good cardio workout.
I live in Maine so the winters are snowy and icy. I often run up and down the stairs at home instead of running outside. It is killer. But yes, be careful.
I live in Maine so the winters are snowy and icy. I often run up and down the stairs at home instead of running outside. It is killer. But yes, be careful.
3
Here are other ways to exercise: walk instead of driving, bike when it's a nice day and you have some time to kill, rake in the fall, use an old style lawn mower to mow your lawn, take the stairs instead of the elevator.
But the most important thing anyone can do is to decide that all the video games, television programs, streaming media, etc., can wait until it's not possible to go outside for the day. I made that decision after I graduated from college 36 years ago. I decided that being outside walking, swimming, biking, hiking, raking, or weeding was more important to me than any sports program or, now, computer game I could watch or play. It's a nuisance to dress for very cold weather but moving is better than staying put in a chair or sofa for the afternoon. Waling when it's hot can be a sweaty business but if the pool is at the end of it, I'll do it. I'd rather be moving than not.
But the most important thing anyone can do is to decide that all the video games, television programs, streaming media, etc., can wait until it's not possible to go outside for the day. I made that decision after I graduated from college 36 years ago. I decided that being outside walking, swimming, biking, hiking, raking, or weeding was more important to me than any sports program or, now, computer game I could watch or play. It's a nuisance to dress for very cold weather but moving is better than staying put in a chair or sofa for the afternoon. Waling when it's hot can be a sweaty business but if the pool is at the end of it, I'll do it. I'd rather be moving than not.
9
Not to put too fine a point on it but I hate High Intensity Interval Training.
I'm subject to a large number of migraines, and one of my primary goals in life is to minimize their number and intensity. To that end I've found T'ai chi chuan to be helpful, but, because of my familial cardiac history, I also used to do regular running on an elliptical trainer. One day about a year ago, my gym threw me a session with a senior trainer, and when we got together I told him about my migraines and how I'd minimized them somewhat through the t'ai chi and what I called "steady-state" running, which tended to burn fat and not glucose... that was my take, anyway.
After congratulating me on my success, he then proceeded to throw everything I'd said into a cocked hat, as he was a devotee of HIIT: he was like a carpenter, HIIT was his hammer and I was but a lowly nail.
For the next hour he made me run me like crazy on the elliptical trainer and other machines, yelling "Faster! faster! faster!" and then stopping me to check my pulse, and then some more running at a slower pace until "faster! faster! faster!" raised its ugly voice once again, etcetera.
Anyway, some hours after that I got a massive migraine, the worst in years, and worse still: EVERTIME I went on the elliptical trainer after that I'd end up with a migraine within 6-8 hours, so that was it for cardio exercise.
So now I just lift weights, which I enjoy... and I lift them slowly.
I'm subject to a large number of migraines, and one of my primary goals in life is to minimize their number and intensity. To that end I've found T'ai chi chuan to be helpful, but, because of my familial cardiac history, I also used to do regular running on an elliptical trainer. One day about a year ago, my gym threw me a session with a senior trainer, and when we got together I told him about my migraines and how I'd minimized them somewhat through the t'ai chi and what I called "steady-state" running, which tended to burn fat and not glucose... that was my take, anyway.
After congratulating me on my success, he then proceeded to throw everything I'd said into a cocked hat, as he was a devotee of HIIT: he was like a carpenter, HIIT was his hammer and I was but a lowly nail.
For the next hour he made me run me like crazy on the elliptical trainer and other machines, yelling "Faster! faster! faster!" and then stopping me to check my pulse, and then some more running at a slower pace until "faster! faster! faster!" raised its ugly voice once again, etcetera.
Anyway, some hours after that I got a massive migraine, the worst in years, and worse still: EVERTIME I went on the elliptical trainer after that I'd end up with a migraine within 6-8 hours, so that was it for cardio exercise.
So now I just lift weights, which I enjoy... and I lift them slowly.
10
Your body adapts and gets really good at whatever you do. If you want to be a one-minute wonder, do a one minute workout.
How did you come up with these claims? Please define what you mean by the body "adapting" to and "getting really good" at an intense 1 minute workout... If the body is out of shape, does it mean surviving it without a heart attack? Not blowing out an ice cold Achilles or ACL?
1
Excuse me but I’m going to sound really cranky now. It’s not nice to fool mother nature - mankind evolved as hunter gatherers, to browse and track game for hours day - not as modern man with “today’s busy lifestyles”. “Today’s busy lifestyles” is a marketing trick for convincing you to but stuff you never knew you needed or wanted - including a book about exercising for one minute. A really useful book would be “How to Emancipate Yourself from Today’s Busy Lifestyles”.
14
I workout on my trainer bike. I do one mile on an easy level to get the legs and lungs warmed up. Then 1 mile at a 1 degree incline; flat 1 mile; 2 degree incline; 1 mile flat; 3 degree incline. I train by distance versus time; the rationale is that when you're riding in the real world, a climb isn't just 1 minute; But the base idea is to 'stress' your heart/lungs at regular period. Nice article.
3
I wouldnt miss my at least an hour a day workouts for anything. This is all my time, no distractions (except my music). Its all about me and makes me feel fantastic no matter how I feel going in. Makes me a better colleague, Dad, husband, lover and person....and YES you do have time for it.
5
As my fencing coach said to me decades ago, "a warm muscle is a happy muscle." I cannot see how a sudden, briefly sustained burst of energy applied to cold muscles, joints and connective tissues provides a "healthy" workout. Isn't that what we are talking about with an "efficient" 1 minute work out? Even for the heart, isn't that a little like going outside and busting it out vigorously shoveling heavy wet snow, something that is always advised against?
I've never heard of a professional athlete doing this kind of stuff. True they may have more time to devote to working out -- being professional athletes and all -- but their routines are the gold standards imho, the ones that should be aspired to as amateurs and recreational athletes.
For example, remember how Mariano used to slowly go through a warm-up routine in the bullpen, starting with light stretching and slow-motion throwing movements, before he worked up to warm-up pitches. This would normally start an inning or so before he was called in.
I've never heard of a professional athlete doing this kind of stuff. True they may have more time to devote to working out -- being professional athletes and all -- but their routines are the gold standards imho, the ones that should be aspired to as amateurs and recreational athletes.
For example, remember how Mariano used to slowly go through a warm-up routine in the bullpen, starting with light stretching and slow-motion throwing movements, before he worked up to warm-up pitches. This would normally start an inning or so before he was called in.
I am 62 years old and an epee fencer. I agree with your comment that getting on an exercise bike and starting with an all out interval courts injury. I do supplement my exercise with intervals once or twice a week. For my intervals I get on an exercise bike at a steady cadence and low resistance and over 10 minutes increase the resistance till I feel I am working moderately hard. Since I use a HR monitor this is about 70% to 75% of my actual max HR (not based on a formula, but rather determined myself - make sure your MD gives you clean bill of health). From that point I will do 45 sec to 1 minute intervals to 90% of my max HR usually reached toward the end of the first interval with 2 minutes at less resistance letting my HR back down to 70% and maintaining it there till the next interval. The 90% of max HR is reached faster during subsequent intervals. I usually aim for 5 intervals. During the intervals I feel I am working very hard, but when I get back down to 70% of max HR in between it seems easier than when I started. I feel that my fitness has significantly improved. I have not had an injury doing this in spite of the loss of elasticity of tendons and ligaments that accompanies aging.
2
That's great Tom! I'm not sure if you were agreeing or disagreeing with me, but it seems that your interval training sessions rely on a fair amount of warm-up. Something entirely consistent with my post -- I don't disagree with interval training, per se. Just that it needs to be worked up to. And once your body is at "operating temperature," the intervals can come with more frequency and greater intensity, as you do, with less risk of injury.
And there are lots of sports out there that people play on a regular basis that mimic interval training. Like soccer and tennis, where there are sudden periods of intense play interspersed between periods of less intensity. But all soccer and tennis players take their warm ups seriously before the matches start. And many will still "ease" into the match, effectively holding back a little at first until they are warmed up.
And there are lots of sports out there that people play on a regular basis that mimic interval training. Like soccer and tennis, where there are sudden periods of intense play interspersed between periods of less intensity. But all soccer and tennis players take their warm ups seriously before the matches start. And many will still "ease" into the match, effectively holding back a little at first until they are warmed up.
2
Excellent...more time for cocktails.
5
I remain disturbed that one of the world's most overweight and out of shape nations appears to continue to clamor for a way to minimize exercise. Any exercise is of course better than no exercise, but the fact remains that we as a nation need more, not less, exercise. Endless research into the effects of minuscule amounts of exercise on sedentary, overweight people does nothing but reinforce the notion that exercise is a heinous and endlessly bitter pill to swallow. Instead of desperately trying to learn how best to avoid exercise, how about learning how to enjoy it?
9
You may as well as me to learn to enjoy getting the flu. It'll never happen. I want to get by with doing the least amount of it I can. As for the nation becoming overweight and out of shape, yes indeed, but I suspect we get as much exercise as any Americans throughout the 20th century - did your parents or grandparents hit the gym? Jog? Probably not.
But they most likely ate smaller portions of whatever food they had, didn't eat processed junk, didn't gulp sugar water and didn't eat fast food every day. I suspect the impact of exercise on obesity is vastly overrated by the food industry that wants to pass the buck, and an exercise industry (gyms, worthless gadgets, Nike, etc) that wants to guilt us into parting with our money.
But they most likely ate smaller portions of whatever food they had, didn't eat processed junk, didn't gulp sugar water and didn't eat fast food every day. I suspect the impact of exercise on obesity is vastly overrated by the food industry that wants to pass the buck, and an exercise industry (gyms, worthless gadgets, Nike, etc) that wants to guilt us into parting with our money.
3
Bicycling up a steep hill is the same as intense stationary biking in a gym, requires no membership, and maybe nearer
4
The idea of committing to High Intensity Workouts is flawed.
First, if somebody has an excuse that she/he is too busy she/he really states that she/he prefers other type of activities after work - perhaps cooking, TV, etc.
Second, given the priorities in First, how would you expect that same person succumbing her/himself to the suffering of high intensity workouts? Running at 70% is joy; but even as a seasoned runner I still look forward with trepidation to my weekly interval run. It is really really hard and suffering is the right word for it.
Third, the risks of injury in high interval training are large; even when biking. Before I go full out biking as an example I make sure I have at least 15 minutes in warm up mode. And you need to cool down the same. You still need quite some time.
I conclude that the results of the study might be technically correct, but it is not a feasible training regiment for an average person.
First, if somebody has an excuse that she/he is too busy she/he really states that she/he prefers other type of activities after work - perhaps cooking, TV, etc.
Second, given the priorities in First, how would you expect that same person succumbing her/himself to the suffering of high intensity workouts? Running at 70% is joy; but even as a seasoned runner I still look forward with trepidation to my weekly interval run. It is really really hard and suffering is the right word for it.
Third, the risks of injury in high interval training are large; even when biking. Before I go full out biking as an example I make sure I have at least 15 minutes in warm up mode. And you need to cool down the same. You still need quite some time.
I conclude that the results of the study might be technically correct, but it is not a feasible training regiment for an average person.
2
just remember folks that with hi intensity/speed work often comes greater risk of injury. Listen to your body every minute of every workout.
1
Maybe there are benefits to interval training in short bursts. This guys says there are and there is evidence. However, I make it a regular practice to speed walk five miles just about every day (except for a couple of months in the darkest part of winter when I go to the gym instead). Over time I have found more than the benefits of blood pressure and stronger legs; I feel better, I've lost weight (12 pounds so far), my lung capacity has improved, my upper back problems are drastically reduced, and I get some serious meditation time to think about things. I have a busy life, too, but I've made exercise a big priority. See you at the finish line.
2
Once you free yourself from the notion that exercise is about weight loss, exercise becomes so much more fun and natural. You don't have to worry about burning X amount of calories. You can do yoga when you're tired, HIIT when you're feeling peppy, or a good long run when you want to stretch your legs. I have always been thin, but the transition from "I must work out an hour a day or else I'll gain a million pounds" to "I want to lift weights and get strong" made a huge difference in my mental well-being. Let's all find the activities that are best for us and get moving!
3
If you've always been thin, it seems unlikely that you've actually had to make that transition.
1
"Time is on my side, yes it is"
Having spoke to a lot of Lifers in Sing Sing, shorts workouts are not considered the best.
Having spoke to a lot of Lifers in Sing Sing, shorts workouts are not considered the best.
"After six weeks of performing three of these sessions per week, for a total of 18 minutes of intense exercise tucked in to slightly longer periods of less intense exercise, the volunteers were significantly more aerobically fit and healthier, with improved blood pressure numbers and markers of muscular health."
Take people who don't exercise, then have them move, then of course they will be better off.
This is better than nothing, bit is this better than traditional works outs that take more time.
I doubt it.
Take people who don't exercise, then have them move, then of course they will be better off.
This is better than nothing, bit is this better than traditional works outs that take more time.
I doubt it.
1
I do both HIIT and traditional aerobics and boot camp. The one issue for HIIT is what I believe is the higher risk of muscle or tendon injury.
HIIT does not hurt, or should not hurt, other than the discomfort one feels when really pushing it on a run. It does work- but I have found my recovery time in my early 50s is a good solid day. It simply takes it out of me... having said that I have been doing HIIT on an elliptical once per day 30 second on , one minute off for 25 minutes for at least four years.
I use it in combination with other aerobic exercise, a day of yoga and a day of boot camp with one day off after my HIIT session.
HIIT does not hurt, or should not hurt, other than the discomfort one feels when really pushing it on a run. It does work- but I have found my recovery time in my early 50s is a good solid day. It simply takes it out of me... having said that I have been doing HIIT on an elliptical once per day 30 second on , one minute off for 25 minutes for at least four years.
I use it in combination with other aerobic exercise, a day of yoga and a day of boot camp with one day off after my HIIT session.
If your heart isn't pumping, and you're not breathing heavily, you're not exercising correctly. Get moving, break a sweat!
2
"After six weeks of performing ...... a total of 18 min./wk of intense exercise ...... the volunteers were significantly more aerobically fit and healthier..." What shape were these folks beforehand? What qualifies as significant? These articles don't say anything.
3
How lazy are we getting (or how lazy have we all become) that we rationalize our distain for exercise by stating a minute of exercise is as 'good' as a more traditional workout. I remember a news story a few years ago where a person's muscles were hooked up to machines and electrically stimulated as he simply lay down and read the newspaper. The 'researchers' claimed that the sedentary stimulation was better for the health of the subject than actual exercise. We continue our race (w/o running of course) to the bottom.
Short, hard workouts and intervals may reduce fat and promote health, but they don't do much for endurance, which is trained through longer, lower-level training, or achieve much in the long run. We used to say that only a maximum of around 20%of training time should be high-stress/interval training - but then we were training for endurance sports. Strength training is another element to add in, at maybe another 20%. Varying the routine does much to keep it fun and maintain motivation.
Though I believe it was Mark Twain who remarked that he never took any exercise because he couldn't see any benefit in bring tired.
Though I believe it was Mark Twain who remarked that he never took any exercise because he couldn't see any benefit in bring tired.
1
People always leave out the time it takes to prepare for a workout. If you have long hair and/or breasts, there are jog bras and hair scrunchies to deal with and always gyms to drive to, unless you have equipment in your basement or live in a temperate clime. I'm a big fan of exercise and do it 6 days a week, but be honest about the time constraints.
i know for myself that my high intensity exercise is what has kept diabetes and high blood pressure away whereas my siblings who only walk for exercise have diabetes and hypertension . I would hesitate to bring it down to one minute without more evidence on folks like me.The one hour sessions also help my joints ,muscles, and mind feel better and likely helps prevent osteoporosis. Maybe it will even ward off or delay senile dementia ,one can only hope.
One minute is better than no minutes but I will stick with the hour for now.
One minute is better than no minutes but I will stick with the hour for now.
1
This is interesting and useful to help broaden the scope of opportunities for exercise. But it would be great if people actually read the article they are commenting on. This is not claiming to be the only way to exercise, just the benefits for people who are busy and are trying to do something without a great commitment of time. Also helps to explain the benefits and time efficiency of HIIT not debunking other methods.
2
A couple of years ago my acupuncturist recommended interval training. She assured me it was possible to see effective results with only short, intense workouts.
She was right. Since I began doing it, I've lost most of my fat and gained pounds of lean muscle. My waist is smaller and my blood pressure is lower. I went from being unhealthy to getting a perfect bill of health at my last physical.
I strongly recommend trying these techniques.
I've also adapted them to running, where bursts of sprinting are alternated with light jogging. My cardio has greatly improved as a result.
She was right. Since I began doing it, I've lost most of my fat and gained pounds of lean muscle. My waist is smaller and my blood pressure is lower. I went from being unhealthy to getting a perfect bill of health at my last physical.
I strongly recommend trying these techniques.
I've also adapted them to running, where bursts of sprinting are alternated with light jogging. My cardio has greatly improved as a result.
1
What about PLACEBO ? I wonder how much of a "one minute"or " five minute " workout could be placebo. In the "maids study" its was suggested that people can loose weight just by thinking that they can loose weight. This was big news a few years ago in this same newspaper: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/magazine/what-if-age-is-nothing-but-a...
One of the real limitations of interpreting the data regarding exercise/training regimens is both the type of subject assessed (young/old, trained/untrained) and the very short follow up provided--1-3 months of interval training typically, what about the benefits over years ? Intervals are HARD and I have found that it is easy to begin to dread and avoid them, there is also suggestion that they can easily lead to overtraining and downstream ill effects. Further there is evidence that adaptations to exercise occur both peripherally (muscle/blood vessels/mitochondria) AND centrally (CNS/cardiac) and that intervals AND LISS together may optimize benefit. I would recommend 80/20 by Matt Fitzgerald and the articles written by Stephen Seiler which discuss the details/advantages/disadvantages surrounding cardiovascular training.
1
It's true that you can't easily out exercise a bad diet. I had to steadily increase my cardio to an hour a day alternating between running, elliptical and cycling to get any significant loss. Weights made little difference.
Eventually I decided to pay more attention to what I ate and cut my cardio to half an hour and I lost a lot more weight with a lot less pain.
Eventually I decided to pay more attention to what I ate and cut my cardio to half an hour and I lost a lot more weight with a lot less pain.
2
Here's some mathematics: "three 20-second intervals on a stationary bicycle, pedaling as hard as they could manage, with two minutes of gentle, slow pedaling between each interval. This was the one-minute workout."
I make this as five minutes. But wait -- is it a good idea to start with 20 seconds of full-out exercise with no warmup whatsoever? And a cool-down afterwards?
I'd like the warmup and cooldown questions addressed by some expert who isn't associated with the book. But 20 seconds times 3 plus two times two minutes I was able to do by myself.
I make this as five minutes. But wait -- is it a good idea to start with 20 seconds of full-out exercise with no warmup whatsoever? And a cool-down afterwards?
I'd like the warmup and cooldown questions addressed by some expert who isn't associated with the book. But 20 seconds times 3 plus two times two minutes I was able to do by myself.
4
I wish articles like this would stress the 2 rules of exercise
Rule #1: do what feels good , that doesn't hurt, and that you like
Rule #2: if you have any doubts, re read rule #1
and, Murphy's corollary,
If "expert" tells you to ignore rule #1, find another expert to listen to
Rule #1: do what feels good , that doesn't hurt, and that you like
Rule #2: if you have any doubts, re read rule #1
and, Murphy's corollary,
If "expert" tells you to ignore rule #1, find another expert to listen to
20
What if every single bit of exercise hurts?
After 68 years of always exercising, 7 months on a statin drug left me unable to exercise at all without the bad kind of pain.
statinvictims.com
After 68 years of always exercising, 7 months on a statin drug left me unable to exercise at all without the bad kind of pain.
statinvictims.com
1
If you truly believe you can get fit working out for one minute a day, I've got some oceanfront property in Kansas to sell you. This is junk science that could only exist in a country so lazy, and obsessed with fads, as America. There's no shortcut to health and fitness; it requires hard work, discipline, and repetition. We've known this for as long as there have been people.
19
This is harder work in a shorter amount of time. If you don't push yourself to the limit, it won't work.
All-out exertion isn't easy, physically or mentally. You have to commit to intensity the same way other people commit to a certain amount of time.
All-out exertion isn't easy, physically or mentally. You have to commit to intensity the same way other people commit to a certain amount of time.
1
Recently the Times published an article saying there is no "one size fits all" diet. Different people have different needs and their bodies respond differently. The same is true for exercise. There is no one solution. As to the mini workout fad, I'm highly skeptical. Maybe, on some measures it works, but it does not appear to provide the full range of benefits of being active more than 10 minutes a day.
6
Comments about losing weight and "ideal" body weight aren't very useful if one is training for optimum health and capacity to meet the challenges of life. For instance, take this information about two 35-year-old men each with same frame type; both are 6' tall, and both weigh 170 pounds. So what do you know or think you know about the ideal diet and training prescriptions for each man? Do they both need the same programs?
Now know that one man has a body fat % of 26 with a 42" waist, and the other has a body fat % of 13 and a 37" waist.
My opinion is that the absence of data on body composition makes it unreasonable to begin a discussion of optimum or even appropriate diet and training programs for any individual.
Now know that one man has a body fat % of 26 with a 42" waist, and the other has a body fat % of 13 and a 37" waist.
My opinion is that the absence of data on body composition makes it unreasonable to begin a discussion of optimum or even appropriate diet and training programs for any individual.
4
It is not physically possible to be 6' 0", 170 lbs with a 42 inch waist and 26% bodyfat.
18
One thing missing from this article is the impact on brain physiology. Much has been written about the potential beneficial effects of exercise on neurogenesis and brain function. Most of those studies, however, examine long duration aerobic exercise. Potential effects, or lack thereof, of HIIT on brain tissue and cognition should be explored.
9
Be mindful is also equally important, I attend a Tai Chi class three times a week . In today`s World I find that to be helpful.
Then Yoga / Stretching classes couple of times a week , also use my home elliptical machine a couple of times a week as well. Sundays use the elliptical machine at the health plex while listening to parts of Sunday morning shows to keep up with political news .
Might not be the best regime but at least I am doing something.
Then Yoga / Stretching classes couple of times a week , also use my home elliptical machine a couple of times a week as well. Sundays use the elliptical machine at the health plex while listening to parts of Sunday morning shows to keep up with political news .
Might not be the best regime but at least I am doing something.
6
Personally that sounds a pretty good routine to me.
1
Exercise is good. But opera/concerts at the zoo were better.
Do they still have those?
Do they still have those?
1
One minute here isn't really one minute, is it? Sounds like it's more 18 one-minute sessions, so 18 minutes, interspersed with slightly longer sessions of slower sessions. So you're talking more like a 40 minute workout at this point. If you've got five or 10 minutes of futzing about on either side, you're up to an hour. Or am I missing something?
3
The "one-minute" workout is actually 7 minutes (20 sec of high intensity, 2 minutes slow pedal repeated three times). After six weeks of three sessions per week, a person has completed 18 minutes of high intensity PLUS 108 minutes of slow pedal) for 126 minutes of exercise over 6 weeks. The real problem with HIIT though is that the high intensity bursts have to be maximal effort and 99% of people are incapable of exerting maximal effort because it's painful.
12
Your Math isn't right: There are on;y TWO rest periods of 2-minute each
Only if you aren't going to warm up first but I don't recommend jumping from cold to maximal intensity. 2 minutes slow, 20 sec, 2 minutes slow, 20 sec, 2 minutes slow, 20 sec = 7 minutes.
The motto of this article is do some everyday, always better than do noting citing no time for any because life is too busy
3
1 MINUTE To health. Not a credible claim. People all over the place have gotten standing desks so that the can prevent the health threats of sitting for long hours. Such prolonged exercise regimen using the natural postures of the body and the force of gravity simply don't jive with a 1 minute workout. But people will buy just about anything. As PT Barnum said, There's a sucker born every minute. A fool and his money are soon parted. Hey bud, wanna buy snake oil? A bridge?
6
So you are saying the science behind the workout is bogus? And your credentials are?? And what is your evidence to support your contrary opinion? Have you read and critically analyzed the data from the research here? I didn't think so. "People all over the place" is not data or research.
5
It is a marketing lead. The program breaks this down into one minute intervals. Having said that the Tabata (the famous head of the Japanese speed skating team) method has been extensively studied (prospective studies) and show a terrific benefit. . The whole session lasts 14 minutes and comprises of a 5 minute warm up on a bike, 4 minutes of intense exercise and a 5 minute cool down. The 4 minutes of intense exercise comprises of 8 repeats of 20 seconds of maximum effort work of your selected exercise followed by a recovery of 10 seconds.
Think 20 seconds of max effort and 10 seconds of rest followed by the same is easy? I tried it (and I am in excellent shape) and half way through I had to stop. I just about killed me. I do 30 second intense sessions followed by 1 minute rest on an elliptical. I do that for 20 minutes. Incredible work out- but I can only stand it once a week. For the rest of the day and the following my body is blown but my brain is full of endorphins.
Try googling Tabata- it might change your mind.
Think 20 seconds of max effort and 10 seconds of rest followed by the same is easy? I tried it (and I am in excellent shape) and half way through I had to stop. I just about killed me. I do 30 second intense sessions followed by 1 minute rest on an elliptical. I do that for 20 minutes. Incredible work out- but I can only stand it once a week. For the rest of the day and the following my body is blown but my brain is full of endorphins.
Try googling Tabata- it might change your mind.
For weight control the first priority is proper diet. Avoid sugar, processed, fried foods, sodas etc. 80% accounts for that. The other 20% is working out. Adjust lifestyle choices and weight control will be much easier.
17
While training for a thousand-mile backpacking trip in the Appalachians, I read advice from someone who had done that before me. They said, "The way to get in shape for carrying a heavy pack over mountains is to carry a heavy pack over mountains."
In my years of being in and out of shape (A former athlete, I'm now 67 years old) I can confirm the above advise. Nearly all gym exercises, including intense interval training, gets you in shape for little more that the same activity, and training for nothing besides more gym exercises is, well, kind of ....
However, any exercise performed consistently will support fat loss and increased lean muscle mass, which is what 64% of Americans need.
In my years of being in and out of shape (A former athlete, I'm now 67 years old) I can confirm the above advise. Nearly all gym exercises, including intense interval training, gets you in shape for little more that the same activity, and training for nothing besides more gym exercises is, well, kind of ....
However, any exercise performed consistently will support fat loss and increased lean muscle mass, which is what 64% of Americans need.
28
This is a great point. Just watch the "CrossFit Games" the competition is simply repeating the same exercise routines done to ...get in to shape for the competition...of the same...exercise routines..
I work out five days a week, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Never more than that. And I've been doing it for the last 20 years or so and can still wear the same size jeans that I did in high school. The way to make these short workouts effective is to not stuff your face during the other 23+ hours of the day.
32
I would be very interested to know typically what exercises you do in the workout?
1
Excellent report
3
I had to laugh at the concept of this mini workout. Now you have even MORE time to get back to your 20 hour workday that is so, so "healthy"
14
I'm 48 y/o, work out only twice a week, each a 30-minute session on an exercise bike, warming up for the first 15 minutes, and then 15 intervals of of 20-seconds high intensity and 40 seconds rest. I'm wiped out at the end, and have found that it's the best use of the limited time I have for working out.
5
This is the latest fad to avoid. Do a real workout; don't be foolish because you're lazy.
7
Excuse me, what may not be a "real" workout for you may be very challenging for someone else, not necessarily because they are lazy. Many people have disabilities and just age related conditions that would make even this short workout very challenging, if not impossible. I'm sure we would all like to be able to go and run a marathon, if we only could.
1
The tabatta protocol (and variations of it) is certainly not a fad. It has been around for decades.
7
Try tabata-
4 minute warm up. 20 seconds of high intensity on a stationary bike then 10 seconds off. Do that for four minutes. My guess is that unless you are a professional athlete you will not be able to do it.
"real workouts... well the Tabata routine took the Japanese speed skating team gold medals whilst Tabata was their coach. It has withstood many many scientific studies that shows that it reduces insulin resistance better than endurance fitness routines AND build muscles (think a sprinter physique vs a marathoners. VOXX max is also increased significantly.
The problem is you are compressing a whole lot of exercise in a short amount of time. If after HIIT you are not exhausted and close to vomiting it is probably not HIIT.
4 minute warm up. 20 seconds of high intensity on a stationary bike then 10 seconds off. Do that for four minutes. My guess is that unless you are a professional athlete you will not be able to do it.
"real workouts... well the Tabata routine took the Japanese speed skating team gold medals whilst Tabata was their coach. It has withstood many many scientific studies that shows that it reduces insulin resistance better than endurance fitness routines AND build muscles (think a sprinter physique vs a marathoners. VOXX max is also increased significantly.
The problem is you are compressing a whole lot of exercise in a short amount of time. If after HIIT you are not exhausted and close to vomiting it is probably not HIIT.
1
Something is better than nothing
6
As the author knows this is a scaled down version of the Tabata protocol workout. A workout devised in Japan which goes for 4 minutes 20 seconds hard and 10 seconds rest. This has been around for a long time.
first of all go all out for One Minute if you are not a conditioned athlete you will put your heart at risk!
first of all go all out for One Minute if you are not a conditioned athlete you will put your heart at risk!
2
I am in excellent shape- and cannot make it through classic Tabata (I have tried and about the third round I am done). Rather I do elliptical 30 seconds of high intensity and 1 minutes very slow. I do that about 12 times after a four minute easy warm up.
420!
Thanks. Now I know the best and easiest exercise with no excuses. Turn your clocks on - one Minute more. Then if you got tho catch your Train, Bus, Tram, Metro or Subway you have to run to get them and "voilà" . Siting in there you can relax. And believe me you will be motivated to run.
2
There are squats and everything else is optional.
6
Seems like everyone's an expert. Publish your studies in peer reviewed journals like Dr. Gibala and get back to us.
8
There are many published studies - hundreds on HIIT. Google Tabata probably the most well known and well studies. All the studies show an improvement in muscle mass (HIIT helps build muscle whilst long distance running does not) improvements in VOXX max for virtually all participants, reduction in insulin tolerance... virtually all studies and there are many prove this.
Lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym. And what ever you do, don't watch The Biggest Loser.
6
For once how about workouts for people in their 70's-80's.
45
Or even 60s.
1
Read the literature, consult your doctor, then adjust accordingly. It ain't rock science.
1
Your implication that intervals aren't for the elderly is predicated on your sense of your fitness level and your lack of desire to improve via interval training. But one size doesn't fit all.
I'm in my seventies and continue to do intervals, either running or rowing. My intervals are two-three minutes, and approach failure.
To state the obvious, I've lost muscle mass and can't crank as hard as I did when I was younger. But as far as the important data––heart rates; bone density; weight/body fat %age––I'm in my thirties.
Move. A lot. Hard.
I'm in my seventies and continue to do intervals, either running or rowing. My intervals are two-three minutes, and approach failure.
To state the obvious, I've lost muscle mass and can't crank as hard as I did when I was younger. But as far as the important data––heart rates; bone density; weight/body fat %age––I'm in my thirties.
Move. A lot. Hard.
8
Many comments have correctly pointed out the misleading names of these workouts when an appropriate warm up time in included. You should also take into account that it takes significant time to get to and from the gym and dressed.
The reported studies are based on intense and rather painful intervals, not just short bursts of moderately harder effort. If you already enjoy exercise, you will find time to enjoy it and naturally will want to do it for longer. If you don't already enjoy exercise enough to fit it into your schedule, you will find that intervals of 80 to 90% of maximum effort are highly unpleasant. Like other unpleasant things, you will eventually find them hard to fit into your busy schedule.
Overall, the coverage of HIIT has been quite misleading
The reported studies are based on intense and rather painful intervals, not just short bursts of moderately harder effort. If you already enjoy exercise, you will find time to enjoy it and naturally will want to do it for longer. If you don't already enjoy exercise enough to fit it into your schedule, you will find that intervals of 80 to 90% of maximum effort are highly unpleasant. Like other unpleasant things, you will eventually find them hard to fit into your busy schedule.
Overall, the coverage of HIIT has been quite misleading
30
Saffron makes the point that the key to a successful exercise program is to enjoy it.
We know that exercise improves health. The stated advantage of high intensity interval training is that it mitigates the obstacle of the amount of time that exercise takes. But this is only an advantage if reducing exercise time increases the likelihood that one exercises in the first place.
Is there any evidence that shortening my exercise time will increase my likelihood of exercising?
We know that exercise improves health. The stated advantage of high intensity interval training is that it mitigates the obstacle of the amount of time that exercise takes. But this is only an advantage if reducing exercise time increases the likelihood that one exercises in the first place.
Is there any evidence that shortening my exercise time will increase my likelihood of exercising?
3
Of course there's evidence. You can't do 30 minutes of anything if the time alloted is 15 minutes. You can do 10 minutes of something if the time alloted is 15 minutes. That's evidence.
Don't confuse it with proof. Proof will only occur with a trial, especially since you refer to you yourself. You are unequivocally a different person from anyone else and therefore have a different likelihood of exercising.
Don't confuse it with proof. Proof will only occur with a trial, especially since you refer to you yourself. You are unequivocally a different person from anyone else and therefore have a different likelihood of exercising.
The human body was meant to move all day. Just saying. Riding a bicycle is also not a natural exercise. After spending most of my life on a bicycle to and from work, I now regret every mile. The vibration, along with the pack on my back, contributed to spinal degeneration and neck problems, and this is not joke. Short, hard exercise is too stressful on the body.
16
Sandhill,
The author's work would seem to refute your experience. Note that the participants in the study were not with a "pack on [their] backs" and that you do not, in any way, note any other contributing factors with your specific health issues.
No mention of hereditary bone issues, no mention of the diet / nutrition regime you did or did not follow. I'd also note your biking to work is not, even remotely, the same as the exercise plan the author has in place for the test subjects.
I say this not to discount your personal health issues, but to throw sand on this man's work, simply because you, personally, did not benefit from a workout that was similar only in the scope of the fact you and his test subjects were riding a bicycle.
The author's work would seem to refute your experience. Note that the participants in the study were not with a "pack on [their] backs" and that you do not, in any way, note any other contributing factors with your specific health issues.
No mention of hereditary bone issues, no mention of the diet / nutrition regime you did or did not follow. I'd also note your biking to work is not, even remotely, the same as the exercise plan the author has in place for the test subjects.
I say this not to discount your personal health issues, but to throw sand on this man's work, simply because you, personally, did not benefit from a workout that was similar only in the scope of the fact you and his test subjects were riding a bicycle.
3
Are there clinical studies for this? Look up anecdotal.
1
Benefits and burdens to bicycling, for sure, but you can minimize the burden side by using a rear mounted basket instead of wearing a backpack. Also have a properly adapted bike to be more ergonomic for the neck and minimize vibration by adapting tires, getting a bike with shock absorbers and/or picking less bumpy roads. Nothing is perfect in this world but bicycling is in general good for the planet and good for the body.
4
The exercise info may be spot-on, but saying "it's better to eat less if weight loss is a goal" is incorrect. Extensive diet research over many decades shows that it's better to eat smarter -- reducing simple carbs, eating a minimum amount of protein and as many green veggies as you can. You don't want to reduce calories too much, which triggers a survival response in the body, slowing metabolism. In fact, you may lose more weight while eating more calories. The type of calories matters.
34
@Nelle Engoron:
Agreed with the advice to reduce refined carbohydrate, but why a minimum amount of protein? Most people lose weight and improve health when they eat more naturally protein-rich and fatty foods.
Agreed with the advice to reduce refined carbohydrate, but why a minimum amount of protein? Most people lose weight and improve health when they eat more naturally protein-rich and fatty foods.
11
Science writer Gary Taubes, in his books "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat," has pretty much demolished the bizarre notion which somehow took hold in medical thinking that postulated anything edible could just be viewed mathematically as the sum of its calories minus the amount of expenditure. Think about it: Someone dining on 2,000 calories of cupcakes every day is going to turn out very differently (very quickly!) than somebody who eats 2,000 calories of steak every day. But, and here's where I go from agreeing with Ms. Engoron's overall point to disagreeing with the specifics, - as Taubes and also the film "The Perfect Human Diet" point out clearly, there are really only three things humans eat: protein, dietary fat (a truly unfortunate name, because it has led to the incredibly self-defeating notion that if you remove "fat" from your diet you will in turn be "less fat" yourself) and carbohydrates. The scientific evidence from studying our evolution is pretty clear from our extremely healthy and strong ancestors (along with contemporaneous populations of healthy humans in remote parts of the planet that we managed to study before they became customers of the "Western diet") all ate mostly dietary fat (as much as 85 percent in the examples like Eskimos and cattle-raising Africans) with about 15 percent protein, and the only people on Earth who have ever placed much value in lots of green veggies are people born after the advent of supermarkets.
1
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Calorie intake is the major factor in whether you can reach a catabolic state. That "Survival Mode" nonesense occurs only if you are eating something like 500 calories a day.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/
Can't make time for exercise?
That's the problem.
Start thinking of exercise as a necessity, like brushing your teeth or bathing. You should feel shame when you don't make time to take care of your body.
That's the problem.
Start thinking of exercise as a necessity, like brushing your teeth or bathing. You should feel shame when you don't make time to take care of your body.
74
Does Dr. Martin Gibala recommend this approach for people with tendon, ligament and other connective tissue damage (a reaction, in some, to exposure to fluoroquinolone antibiotics)? Or is a more moderate approach advisable for individuals with that issue?
9
I do my 20 minute interval training on the elliptical trainer, and I gave up 'timing' the interval at upper register 'crusing' (barely able to converse while peddling), to all out effort. I just try to fit in 4-5 all out efforts within the 20 minute parameter. I think this works--I'm pretty fit. And I'm not locked into counting seconds,etc.
9
You took sedentary people and had them exercise and they showed improvement. You could have used any method and they would have shown improvement. It's the newbie effect and happens regardless of method with folks who haven't exercised. 6 weeks? Would need to have a large group of people exercising using different methods for a far longer period to make comparisons. Who plateaus and where? There's a reason that HIT is only one aspect of an athlete's training.
18
Exactly what I thought. There is no easy way to be physically fit, so find something you enjoy (or WILL enjoy if you keep at it).
2
I am just very curious what standards were applied to determine the research subjects were "healthier" after six weeks of this regime. I am used to my medical professionals, who check my condition, cancer markers and other statistics every six months, sometimes annually - would Ms. Reynolds publish the methods by which health can be measurably improved - let's see, "significantly more aerobically fit and healthier" - in SIX WEEKS? and could we see the numbers on these improved sedentary men and women after six months? And after a year?
8
The one-minute workout actually lasts 5 minutes, of which 1 minute at high intensity and 4 minutes at low intensity.
17
Sometimes the focus is too much on the exercise goal like losing 20 pounds or training for some event. I used to be in that mindset, always pushing to meet some goal. In the end, I simply feel better, have more energy and sleep better since I started cross-training, which involves a significant amount of interval work.
A side benefit has been that my appetite has shifted to craving healthier foods because my body needs it. Maybe it is partly my own conscious shift in thinking but I used to LOVE ice cream; now I am kind of repulsed by it. I occasionally partake in "unhealthy" foods but I just don't crave them anymore. As a result, my weight has come down, along with my blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. And when I sleep, I sleep more soundly but I also need less, so I am up an hour or two earlier without being tired during the day.
Best part of all of this is that I do it all at home. No gym memberships, no driving around, and no sharing sweat with others. My 10 and 12-year olds even join me sometimes because I am home with them while exercising. This is all fun, so I can see doing this until I physically cannot move anymore due to old age.
A side benefit has been that my appetite has shifted to craving healthier foods because my body needs it. Maybe it is partly my own conscious shift in thinking but I used to LOVE ice cream; now I am kind of repulsed by it. I occasionally partake in "unhealthy" foods but I just don't crave them anymore. As a result, my weight has come down, along with my blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. And when I sleep, I sleep more soundly but I also need less, so I am up an hour or two earlier without being tired during the day.
Best part of all of this is that I do it all at home. No gym memberships, no driving around, and no sharing sweat with others. My 10 and 12-year olds even join me sometimes because I am home with them while exercising. This is all fun, so I can see doing this until I physically cannot move anymore due to old age.
16
Here, by definition, is a workout built to fit today's "busy" lifestyles. No graduate degree will be required to appreciate that human evolution was not geared toward “today's busy lifestyles”. Human evolution was geared toward spending all day finding enough calories to survive until the next day. Hunter gatherers tightly balanced calories found and calories expended. There are no fat Hunter Gathers. On the other hand, hunter gatherers that burned too many calories died quickly of starvation. Hunter Gathers followed game for hours a day – their “workout” was based on what game was available. Of course we’re not Hunter Gathers but, regardless, you can’t fool evolution.
4
@DILLON:
Hunter-gatherers ate very different types and qualities of foods, independent of calories. Activity is important, but they were not fat because they did not have access to highly processed modern foods with loads of sugar/refined carbs.
Studies of modern hunter-gatherers find that they have lots of _leisure time_, and they do not spend all day every day chasing game for fear of starvation. There have always been periods of fasting and feasting, but they were not, in general, constantly on the edge of starvation.
Hunter-gatherers did not _consciously_ balance energy. Energy balance is supposed to unconscious and automatic, like breathing, blood pressure, fluid balance, etc.
Hunter-gatherers ate very different types and qualities of foods, independent of calories. Activity is important, but they were not fat because they did not have access to highly processed modern foods with loads of sugar/refined carbs.
Studies of modern hunter-gatherers find that they have lots of _leisure time_, and they do not spend all day every day chasing game for fear of starvation. There have always been periods of fasting and feasting, but they were not, in general, constantly on the edge of starvation.
Hunter-gatherers did not _consciously_ balance energy. Energy balance is supposed to unconscious and automatic, like breathing, blood pressure, fluid balance, etc.
7
My God..this guy!!! I am waiting for the nano second work out every day.
The guy that comes up with that will win the Nobel Prize for humanity or at least for couch potatoes....
The guy that comes up with that will win the Nobel Prize for humanity or at least for couch potatoes....
3
I do something physical every day, and it’s not all H.I.I.T. I play a weekly hockey game. But life is busy. - Dr. Gibala This is probably the key...just keep moving.
2
An early book on interval training was published in the 1970's. "Interval Training for Lifetime Fitness", Dial Press, Fox, Mathews and Barshaw. I still have my copy and have pursued interval training of and on since the 70's
2
Exercising for one minute does not have the same effect as a 50 minute workout when it comes to your mental well being. I don't buy into this theory at all, we need exercise to relieve stress, anxiety, and to make us feel good.
59
Absolutely true. Gretchen Reynolds is so obsessed with the engineering mechanical, and time aspects of exercising that she nearly shows disinterest in the mental comfort and mental benefits not after exercising, but WHILE exercising. Which, to many of us, are as as valuable as the mechanical aspects. And it is not just pleasure of living, joy of being alive and functioning in the moment, of enjoying the natural environment of existence, but also the mental energy and creativity gained DURING exercising. Exercising is not another way of improving living after exercising, it is an improved way of living WHILE exercising. I have never experienced the intense joy of just being alive in the world, or any spontaneous, instantaneous burst of mental creativity (seeing new angles to a problem, developing new ideas I had never conceived, even feeling a flow of creative rhetoric surging from the unconscious, impossible to concoct otherwise) while doing a one-minute moment of intense pushups or chinups. Usually the only idea that my mind seems able to create is in those moments when I am pushing myself to the maximum, for an interval of extreme intensity is: "When is this torture going to end? Let's get over it as fast as possible".
14
People keep missing the point of this. The vast majority of people simply do nothing. This is a minimum benchmark to get people off their butts. It is not a replacement to exercise in general; it is a replacemnt to the excuse that exercise takes too much time and I therefore will remain seated.
6
I'm not sure I agree. The intense bursts of activity flood the brain with endorphins and dopamine. After interval training I feel a sense of euphoria which levels off at a sense of peaceful well-being.
Try it for yourselves. If it doesn't work for you, don't do it.
Try it for yourselves. If it doesn't work for you, don't do it.
2
So now we know: some exercise, here being HIIT, is better than none. Is that really the news here?
As most of us have already suspected, the marginal increase in fitness and health is inversely proportional to the duration of exercise. The longer the workout, the less the incremental gain. Different goals, as others have said, require different trading intensity and duration. One size does not fit all.
And, yes, exercise is a must for good health, which includes maintaining an ideal body weight. It will aid in weight loss, and studies have shown that dieters who keep the weight off are those who have become regular exercises.
As most of us have already suspected, the marginal increase in fitness and health is inversely proportional to the duration of exercise. The longer the workout, the less the incremental gain. Different goals, as others have said, require different trading intensity and duration. One size does not fit all.
And, yes, exercise is a must for good health, which includes maintaining an ideal body weight. It will aid in weight loss, and studies have shown that dieters who keep the weight off are those who have become regular exercises.
3
I do deadlifts twice a week, three sets of ten with a few minutes of rest in between. It has significantly improved my balance when standing on one foot, say to wash the other in the shower or to get dressed. That alone seems worth it to me.
11
If there are two, two minute easy sessions, don't they take add to the workout time? After all you have to put in the time?
Not counting it is like saying the last half mile of the 3 mile run is what's important and the first two and a half don't count.
Not counting it is like saying the last half mile of the 3 mile run is what's important and the first two and a half don't count.
8
Not sure how a video describing 20 minutes of exercise, with an extremely intense effort every other minute relates to the discussion of a one minute workout. The effort required for 10 minutes of intense exercise within 20 minutes of exercise sounds extremely grueling. Likewise, the animation of someone doing repeated push ups also suggests this is for somebody who is already extremely fit, not to mention not plagued by issues such as carpal tunnel or tendonitis, for which push ups are very bad.
4
The science mentioned here about weight loss and exercise makes sense, and fits my experience as well. Currently, I find that 2 low calorie days a week (600-700) + sensible eating the rest (lots of veggies, moderate fruit, modest amounts of grains, beans, animal protein like eggs and fish, small amounts of nuts and seeds) is incredibly easy (i often cook several days of "kitcheri" - look it up; fabulous food!! - takes 20 minutes of prep for 3 days of meals).
Now I'm off to do my "easier" 7 minute workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw.
I do three "easy" days - jumping jacks on a mini trampoline mixed with kettle bell swings - and 2-3 "hard" days - pushups, pull-ups, squats, and about 5-6 dumbbell exercises - rows, presses, lateral raises, dead lifts, and a few others, often in combinations)
working at home on most days, I usually get in at least 3 7-minute sessions; if no time during the day, I'll do 2 early in the morning at 1 at night. (I'd love to run, but my 64 year-old knees aren't cooperating with my desire to do so)
One commenter had it right, Pollan's advice works for both food and exercise;
Food: eat real food, mostly plants, not too much
Exercise: Do regular high quality endurance and strength exercise, (i.e. real 'food'), not too much.
http://www.remember-to-breathe.org/Breathing-Videos.html
Now I'm off to do my "easier" 7 minute workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw.
I do three "easy" days - jumping jacks on a mini trampoline mixed with kettle bell swings - and 2-3 "hard" days - pushups, pull-ups, squats, and about 5-6 dumbbell exercises - rows, presses, lateral raises, dead lifts, and a few others, often in combinations)
working at home on most days, I usually get in at least 3 7-minute sessions; if no time during the day, I'll do 2 early in the morning at 1 at night. (I'd love to run, but my 64 year-old knees aren't cooperating with my desire to do so)
One commenter had it right, Pollan's advice works for both food and exercise;
Food: eat real food, mostly plants, not too much
Exercise: Do regular high quality endurance and strength exercise, (i.e. real 'food'), not too much.
http://www.remember-to-breathe.org/Breathing-Videos.html
6
"In general, exercise is not a huge contributor to weight control. People don’t like to hear that, but it’s true. It is much easier to cut calories in the diet than to burn large numbers of them with exercise of any kind."
I see men at the YMCA exercise frequently, but rarely lose weight. Why? Because they refuse to modify their diets.
Obviously we need a combination of diet and exercise to maintain proper weight.
Jack Lalanne said this decades ago.
I see men at the YMCA exercise frequently, but rarely lose weight. Why? Because they refuse to modify their diets.
Obviously we need a combination of diet and exercise to maintain proper weight.
Jack Lalanne said this decades ago.
51
I agree with David Henry's post. I figured out 4 years ago to stay healthy and maintain my weight, I needed to eat a "healthy" plant-based diet. It's the only way I've been able to maintain my weight. I've been doing aerobic spinning with intervals for 3+ years with the same overweight men and women in the class.
4
Good point. I think it's worthwhile to demonstrate this in concrete fashion with any of a number of free fitness/calorie trackers. Mine tells me that my daily calorie allowance is just over 2000 calories. 10,000 steps walking burns just under 400 calories. If I take the train to work, the total walk is about 7500 steps. If, on the other hand, I ride my bike to work, the 2-2.5 hours I spend on the bike is good for 1600-2000 calories.
I don't care how hard your one-minute workout is, the excess calories burned will be negligible. If you want to lose weight, you have to change your diet. Maybe not in dramatic ways, but it must change.
I don't care how hard your one-minute workout is, the excess calories burned will be negligible. If you want to lose weight, you have to change your diet. Maybe not in dramatic ways, but it must change.
6
Here's another one-size-fits-all universal fitness plan to get healthy in a hurry. It completely ignores the fact that different goals call for different programs. A sprinter does not use the same training routine as a marathoner; a weight lifter doesn't use the same routine as a gymnast. These one-minute sprints might give you great ability to do one-minute sprints, but will do little for your endurance. Running ten miles a day will give you a great aerobic workout and a strong cardiovascular system, but will do nothing for your clean and jerk. You have to fit your workout program to your goal. then comes the hard part: sticking to it faithfully.
9
This comment seems to miss the point of the article and of the study itself. They are directed at people who don't exercise AT ALL, claiming they "don't have time." Obviously, a person training for some particular athletic activity should customize the workout for that activity, but those are not the people the story is trying to reach.
15
I did track workouts years ago for the heck of it. I did them with a group when I was middle-aged. And I do them now mostly to hear the young kids say "look what that old guy is doing." The goal when I was young was four 5:50 miles. I usually fell short. With the club, I wanted to be with the fastest women. I usually fell short. Now 8 minutes is sweet. I succeed more because it's a less ambitious goal.
On the way, I've learned a few things. (1) I can't pace myself -- I give it maximum effort. (2) My goals are possible but not easy, and there is only success or failure. Success is great. Failure sends me home early. (3) Only hit the track when you have been working out regularly. Hamstrings. Hamstrings. Hamstrings. (4) You can run intervals in the summer heat with less strain than in regular workouts. You lose much less water running intervals. (5) Some tracks ask you to run in the outside lanes, which get used less. Are you kidding me? (6) You can get by with a $10 stopwatch, All you need to know is you time. The track measures your distance. (7) Four laps of the track are 1600 meters, so you can stop your watch 9 meters early if you're compulsive (8) On a highs school track, the soccer coach won't care if you're running. The football coach will. Go figure. (9) Intervals are monotonous and hard, particularly if done with short breaks in between. Short breaks are the rule and if you're going to kill yourself, go all the way. Have fun!
On the way, I've learned a few things. (1) I can't pace myself -- I give it maximum effort. (2) My goals are possible but not easy, and there is only success or failure. Success is great. Failure sends me home early. (3) Only hit the track when you have been working out regularly. Hamstrings. Hamstrings. Hamstrings. (4) You can run intervals in the summer heat with less strain than in regular workouts. You lose much less water running intervals. (5) Some tracks ask you to run in the outside lanes, which get used less. Are you kidding me? (6) You can get by with a $10 stopwatch, All you need to know is you time. The track measures your distance. (7) Four laps of the track are 1600 meters, so you can stop your watch 9 meters early if you're compulsive (8) On a highs school track, the soccer coach won't care if you're running. The football coach will. Go figure. (9) Intervals are monotonous and hard, particularly if done with short breaks in between. Short breaks are the rule and if you're going to kill yourself, go all the way. Have fun!
21
Regarding #7, you would want to run 9 meters more than 4 laps if you are trying to run a mile. 1609.34 meters (more or less) in a mile.
3
I like doing intervals on the rowing machine in the health club, as it is extremely easy to vary the pace, and the display gives you immediate feedback on how your pace changes.
1
Kudos to Martin Gibala for affirming that exercise is not a solution to obesity. Uncontrolled eating is the problem. When the patient is able to control eating so that eating more than is required is stopped, obesity is reversed. Once that is done, exercise will help. It should be noted that exercise is required for health, like vitamins. Do without and you won't be heathy, but it won't affect weight.
In my practice specializing in weight control, the exercise issue is not the kind, but the time spent in exercise. Most new clients do no exercise at all. If they were to walk for 15-30 minutes a day, their health would improve dramatically. Some new patients exercise a great deal, which is good for their health, but they are still obese because they eat too much. Getting control of eating behavior solves the weight problem. I have never had patient not lose weight following my protocol. Some exercise, some don't. The ones that exercise, no matter what they do, are healthier. Rather than focus in the type of exercise, physicians need to make the point that anything done regularly is the goal for all who want to be healthy, and for those who want to control their weight, the goal is learning behavioral therapy methods.
I am a licensed Mental Health Counselor, solved my own stubborn obesity problem of 25 years with behavioral technique, and I have maintained an ideal weight for 30 years. I have been teaching others since. Please read my book, "The Anderson Method".
In my practice specializing in weight control, the exercise issue is not the kind, but the time spent in exercise. Most new clients do no exercise at all. If they were to walk for 15-30 minutes a day, their health would improve dramatically. Some new patients exercise a great deal, which is good for their health, but they are still obese because they eat too much. Getting control of eating behavior solves the weight problem. I have never had patient not lose weight following my protocol. Some exercise, some don't. The ones that exercise, no matter what they do, are healthier. Rather than focus in the type of exercise, physicians need to make the point that anything done regularly is the goal for all who want to be healthy, and for those who want to control their weight, the goal is learning behavioral therapy methods.
I am a licensed Mental Health Counselor, solved my own stubborn obesity problem of 25 years with behavioral technique, and I have maintained an ideal weight for 30 years. I have been teaching others since. Please read my book, "The Anderson Method".
5
By the way, my weight problem was severe. I was overweight as a child, first doctor's diet at 7 years old, which made things worse. From that point, I continued to fight it, get heavier, fail at diet and exercise schemes, and by the time I was in my thirties, I was over 300 pounds. Fortunately, I had become trained as a behavior therapist working with addicts, developed an awareness and behavioral expertise unknown at the time, lost 140 pounds in my 34th year, and have maintained an ideal 180 since. I've been teaching others since 1985 when I first wrote of my methods, and today, thousands all over the world are now using them.
4
exercise. more than a little. not too much. sometimes make it hard.
49
yas!!! ...shout out to Michael Pollan;)
1
One thing not mentioned in the text (perhaps it is in the video) is the need to ease into this and to warm up properly. I workout regularly, but I'd hurt myself if I walked into the fitness center, plopped myself down onto a rowing machine, and went truly all out for a minute. Maybe it's different for young'uns, but for older (I'm in my 60s) or sedentary people, exercise without a suitable warm-up is just a recipe for injury, and a return to sedentary ways.
23
No mention of Professor Izumi Tabata who was there first?
1
The article is not about him, so what's your point?
Ironically I just did a short HIIT workout on a Me-Mover, a new self powered stepping machine that uses the same muscles as running from Denmark. There is no hard foot impact and the aerobics are almost instantaneous. There is no waiting during sprinting, heart rate rises much faster than spinning on a bicycle, or running.
I did 30 seconds of high intensity sprinting and 60 seconds moderate stepping, off and on, I prefer to use my energy to move, rather stay immobile indoors.
After the HIIT routine, I can go for long rides to cool down instead of using a motor vehicle to the gym. I also use a similar routine while weight training, working out to failure during certain exercises.
I found that motivation is based on having fun, finding a routine that suits your personal needs. I chose the Me-Mover because it saves time, I don't have to go for bicycle centuries to get a great workout, the routines are condensed based on the propulsion method. For me, it's the shortest workout possible while having fun at 79 years old.
I did 30 seconds of high intensity sprinting and 60 seconds moderate stepping, off and on, I prefer to use my energy to move, rather stay immobile indoors.
After the HIIT routine, I can go for long rides to cool down instead of using a motor vehicle to the gym. I also use a similar routine while weight training, working out to failure during certain exercises.
I found that motivation is based on having fun, finding a routine that suits your personal needs. I chose the Me-Mover because it saves time, I don't have to go for bicycle centuries to get a great workout, the routines are condensed based on the propulsion method. For me, it's the shortest workout possible while having fun at 79 years old.
2
"...running from Denmark" would certainly burn calories and
promote fitness, but one would soon reach the Atlantic Ocean,
which would then require "swimming from Denmark," and
no longer using "the same muscles."
promote fitness, but one would soon reach the Atlantic Ocean,
which would then require "swimming from Denmark," and
no longer using "the same muscles."
6
Just curious. At 79, you should have a lot of available time on your hands. Why the urge to find "the shortest workout possible "?
Deb: I was thinking the same thing. Reading that sentence ending with " that uses the same muscles as running from Denmark" is hilarious. I love Denmark and all its products, all its Danish goodies. I always dreamt of marrying a Danish girl. But "running from Denmark" is another joy I had never until now considered.
1
Once again the study subjects are sedentary subjects. Exposure to almost any form of exercise would improve fitness in untrained individuals.
57
But that is largely the point. Most people are sedentary and would benefit. Read the whole interview.
2
iPlod, while these subjects were untrained individuals, I've been doing the same types of workouts for two decades now and I can say that - for me, at least - they really do work. I'm lean and muscular and feel confident. I can't ask for more than that. In my mind, the key to making any workout effective - whether short or long - is the rest of the day when you're not working out; if you overeat, then no amount of exercise can prevent you from gaining weight.
What the article is pointing to is the value of much shorter - one minute - workout - three times a week with "significantly more aerobically fit and healthier" results, not meager outcomes. It's a Siron's call to those who complain of time.
Several important factors are left out: (1) Adequate warm up; otherwise, subjecting joints and muscles to strenuous effort invites injury. (Experienced athletes know this, but it needs to be emphasized for the general public.) (2) Longevity - see Gretchen's 04/15/2015 article "The Right Dose of Exercise for a Longer Life." The "sweet spot" was between 150 and 450 minutes of exercise per week. Notably, interval training was not studied; I'm not aware of any longevity studies that compare ultra-short exercise to more traditional exercise. (3) Autophagy - see Gretchen's 02/01/2012 article "Exercise as Housecleaning for the Body." In the animal experiments, mice ran for 30 minutes - not one minute. To sum up: compared to more traditional exercise, the science of interval training is still very incomplete; its long-term effects on health and longevity are unknown.
27
Footnote re: longevity. A small German study did find similar telomerase enhancement after 40 minutes of aerobics, compared to 45 minutes of high intensity interval training (the 45 minutes included warm up, cool down, and four sets of intervals). Source: "The Telomere Effect," chap. 7, Jan. 2017 (current NYT best seller). But the total times ended up being the same; no one has yet demonstrated this effect for ultra-short HIIT time-saving workouts.
The quest for ultra-short workouts also contradicts numerous recent articles that say: for the best life-long health, (a) avoid prolonged sitting, and (b) incorporate movement throughout your day - not just at the gym.
The quest for ultra-short workouts also contradicts numerous recent articles that say: for the best life-long health, (a) avoid prolonged sitting, and (b) incorporate movement throughout your day - not just at the gym.
8
So many comments compare short interval versus long interval types of exercises. Read this!!!! This is a false comparison. This is more about short versus nothing. It is trying to help MOST people...those who do nothing.
2
HIIT sounds great but overtime I try it, I get hurt. I guess I'm consigned to the old-fashioned 30-minute moderate regimes.
1
I've been doing high-intensity intervals for years, but ONLY after ten minutes or so of moderate exercise on an elliptical machine to warm up. Give that a try and I think it will help your injury problem.
3
Makes a lot of sense to me. Also pretty reassuring. Just do It!