SHORTS BURSTS OF EXERCISE ARE BEST

STUDIES show that just a few short bursts of intense physical activity can be powerfully effective. In fact, just a couple of minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) a week is enough to give your body a significant boost.

However, HIIT isn’t for everyone. If you are on medication, are injured or have concerns about your heart, you should consult your doctor before starting any exercise regime.

There is always the risk that you will pull something (earlier this year I tore my Achilles tendon while running) and studies on mice suggest that a sudden increase in exercise intensity and volume can have a transient negative effect on the immune system.

However, if you’re up for it, HIIT offers most of the major benefits of exercise in a short sharp burst, which is over mercifully quickly.

I first came across HIIT a few years ago while making a television documentary for the BBC called The Truth About Exercise.

I was told that a few minutes a week of intense cycling would greatly improve my aerobic fitness and my blood sugar control (which, as we know, is very important if you want to avoid the extreme symptoms of Covid-19). The regimen I was asked to undertake consisted of three 20-second bursts of vigorous exercise on an exercise bike, three times a week.

In just six weeks my insulin sensitivity improved by more than 20 per cent.

Since then, studies have shown that as little as two minutes of HIIT every week will give your body a significant boost — the equivalent to running at adecent pace for 45 minutes three times every week. Although it is simplest to complete an HIIT session on an exercise bike, you could consider swapping cycling for running up stairs for 20 seconds or putting in short, flat-out sprints while you are jogging.

Start off with a couple of minutes of gentle cycling or jogging to warm up before embarking on the HIIT.

When you feel ready, speed up and work your body as hard as you can for ten or 20 seconds, before slowing down again.

Repeat the sprint after you’ve had a couple of minutes of gentle pedalling/ jogging/walking to recover.

Recovery time is important.