Short and sharp: the best way to exercise (as long as you’re young)

What’s the best type of exercise? For those who have limited time on their hands, it’s good news – because the most effective way to get fit is by short and sharp training bursts. Ten one-minute sprints on a training bike achieve as much as hours of strenuous ‘slogging’, researchers from the McMaster University in Canada have discovered. The key is little and often, and to take rests between bursts of activity, says lead researcher Martin Gibala. However, he warns that the short and sharp approach is ideal for younger people; if you are older, less fit or overweight, the standard approach of moderate and lengthy exercise is still the safer option. (Source: Journal of Physiology, 2010; doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.181743).

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