The 20-Minute Workout
Gretchen Reynolds, the Phys Ed columnist, on the science of high-intensity interval training, or H.I.I.T., which scientists are finding can be as effective as longer endurance training.
By Sean Patrick Farrell on Publish Date May 10, 2012.Instead of asking how much exercise we need, some scientists are looking into how little we can do and still get maximal health and fitness benefits.
The answer appears to be a lot less than most of us think — provided we’re willing to put in some effort. That’s the secret behind high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, an approach to training that compresses all of your exercise into only a few minutes — and the subject of our first Phys Ed video, “The 20-Minute Workout,” part of a new series that will be appearing regularly on Well.
I introduce you to the work of scientists at McMaster University in Ontario who have been at the forefront of HIIT research, studying what the training can do for us and how we can do it in a manageable, practical way. I’ve written about HIIT before: “How 1-Minute Intervals Can Improve Our Health” and “Can You Get Fit in Six Minutes a Week?” Now you can go behind the scenes to see the scientists at work.
Have you tried interval training? Join the discussion below.
Gretchen Reynolds is the author of “The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer” (Hudson Street Press, 2012).
What’s the best way to get fit? Join in the discussion.