We know intervals can hurt, but here’s why they may be worthwhile

Extracts:

"High-intensity interval training can enhance fitness, improve health and even aid recovery from heart disease, according to a growing body of compelling evidence. But, experts caution, intervals should not replace moderate exercise completely. Instead, the two types of activity can complement each other, offering more opportunities for getting fit and staying motivated."

“No exercise is bad, and some exercise, whatever it is, is better than none,” de Heer says. “Aerobic exercise has all kinds of benefits. Intervals are even better. That’s my summary.”

"In one of the latest studies to compare intervals with less-grueling but more time-consuming exercise, Gibala and colleagues put nine sedentary men through three 10-minute interval sessions per week. After a warm-up and before a cool-down, the workout incorporated three all-out sprints on an exercise bike lasting just
20 seconds, with two minutes of easier cycling in between. Another group did 45 minutes of steady cycling at about 70 percent of their maximum heart rate. After 12 weeks, the team reported this spring, both groups had improved equally on measures of heart health and fitness, even though the interval group exercised for 30 minutes a week compared with the other group’s 135 minutes."

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