Even as little as 20 seconds brisk exercise such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, could be enough to improve fitness.
In a recent study in the New York Times* scientists into interval style training found that as little as 20 seconds of brisk stair climbing, done several times a day, could be beneficial
Researchers called these ‘insta-workouts’ and without leaving their office or changing into active wear, significant health gains can be seen from these simple exercises.
At Anytime Fitness we’ve always been advocates of shorter workouts. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to see improvements and every single member is different, so find what works for you and stick to it. That could be 30, 45 minute or 1 hour sessions but you certainly need to be putting in hours and hours each day to see results.
Looking at exercise in this way also removes many of the excuses; I don’t have time, I forgot my gym kit, I’m not near a gym
Just find some stairs or an empty corridor and raise your heart rate! Your body will thank you for it. You can do this anytime, anywhere, whenever the opportunity for a burst arises!
It’s also the reason for the rise in H.I.I.T workouts substituting intensity for duration. Instead of busting a gut trying to burn yourself into a heap on the ground, a better way could be to complete structured workouts consisting of brief spurts of high intensity exercise, such as 20 seconds of pedalling as fast as you can on a stationary bicycle, interspersed with periods of rest.
If you’ve ever been put off boot camps because you over did it and then could’t walk for days afterwards, this kind of short burst exercising could be for you. It should be gentler on muscles and lead to less injuries and strains.
Ref: *New York Times, Even a 20-Second Exercise ‘Snack’ Can Improve Fitness
