The 20-Second Exercise?

Is there really such thing as a twenty-second exercise? According to an article in the New York Times there is! Two new studies demonstrate that twenty-second interval-style training, if done multiple times a day, can be enough exercise to improve your health and fitness.

The twenty-second exercise sessions model after high-intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.) workouts. The premise is to perform high intensity challenging workouts for a short amount of time. These workouts can help improve endurance while also improving blood-pressure and blood-sugar levels.

A team from McMaster University in Hamilton found that twenty-second bouts of stair climbing with a few minutes of rest in-between, for a total of ten minutes,  helped increase fitness by 12% in 6 weeks! More on that study can be found here. 

In another study researchers had students run up three flights of stairs as fast as they could for about twenty seconds. In this case, the exercise was repeated twice more throughout the day. At the end of six weeks researchers found that the exercise increased cardiovascular health by about 5%

These small bouts of exercise demonstrate to help people improve their cardiovascular function. Although not a substitute for more intense training, these studies showed that positive exercise choices throughout your day can lead to improved overall health.

Taking the stairs really can improve your overall health!