Sprint training more effective than gym when fighting the flab

HIGH intensity interval training is the best course of action for slimmers who do not have enough time to go to the gym, research suggests.

Bursts of intense exercise within a 23-minute workout have a greater effect on weight loss than twice the time spent at the gym, experts have found.

Sprint training, a method commonly used in running and cycling, typically means going all-out for 30 seconds before a four-minute recovery period of slower exercise. People following this regimen lost 6 per cent of their body fat, compared with a loss of 3.4 per cent among those doing a standard gym session of 41 minutes, studies involving 1,000 people showed.

Overall, those taking part in all types of interval training lost 29 per cent more weight than those taking part in conventional workouts, losing an average of 3lb 8oz compared with 2lb 8oz among other gym-goers.

People wanting to lose weight are often advised to spend an hour or more exercising each day. But the researchers from universities in Brazil and the School of Sport, Health and Social Sciences in Hampshire, said few people find the time – and shorter workouts could be easier to achieve.

“Interval training is an attractive alternative to address overweight and obesity, given its potential to offer benefits similar to moderate-intensity continuous training while requiring less time,” they said. However, they warned that interval training could increase the risk of injury “and impose higher cardiovascular stress”.

Steven Ward, chief executive of Ukactive, welcomed the research, as he said Britain was “battling a grave obesity crisis”.

But, he said it was important to find a form of exercise that was enjoyable enough to stick with.

“For some, that may mean squeezing in a high-intensity spin class; for others it might mean a lunchtime jog or a walk with the family at the weekend,” he added.