Whether you're a gym nut, a "sweat-o-phobe" or you're just plain bad at keeping a New Year's resolution, it only takes a few moments out of your day to improve your fitness, according to the author of "The One-Minute Workout."
Author and McMaster University professor Martin Gibala says, introducing a few bursts of effort into your daily routine can improve your overall fitness, thereby lowering your risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
According to Gibala, taking the stairs a few times per day can be enough to help an "average" person elevate their fitness level.
"We know that even 20-second efforts repeated three times – so that could be stair-climbing something like that – that's enough to boost your fitness," he told CTV News Channel on Tuesday.
The pounds won't be melting off after taking a few flights of stairs, but Gibala says it's still a good way to get in some exercise if you don't have the time to hit the gym.
He acknowledged that the idea of a one-minute workout is "a bit of a teaser headline," but he insists a little bit of exercise can go a long way.
"If we can find time-efficient options that are grounded in good science, that's a good message," he said.
Gibala says the most important takeaway from his research is that it's better to work out hard than work out for a long time.
"If you're time-pressed, intensity trumps duration," he said. "How hard you work out is more important than how long you workout for boosting your fitness."
He added that interval workouts are more effective than steady exercise, even when it comes to walking. "Rather than just a steady-state walk around the block, pick up the pace for a few light posts, and then back off," he said.
"The One-Minute Workout," written by Gibala with Christopher Shulgan, hit bookstores on Tuesday.
