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 Experts say even mini-interludes of this cardiovascular workout,
which alternates short, high-intensity intervals with longer, slower
ones, can help fend off the sedentary perils of time-pressed,
computer-shackled men and women.
Air boxing, in-place marching, wall push-ups and chair jogging are
among the office-friendly cardio bouts that exercise physiologist
Sean Foy suggests in this new book “The Burst! Workout: the Power of
10-Minute Interval Training.”
“We’re pushing people like athletes, and that’s great for the P90X
and CrossFit crowd,” said Foy, who is based in Placentia,
California.
“But for people who work in an office 12 hours a day, spending
another hour at the gym might be unreasonable.”
The best exercise, he said, is the one you will do.
Foy proposes a 4-3-2-1 formula that entails four minutes of
high-energy aerobic training to raise heart rate and metabolism,
three minutes of resistance training to strengthen muscles and
bones, two minutes of core-strengthening exercises for abs and back
and one minute of breathing and stretching.
For the desk-bound, Foy said even a minute of activity can have a
profound, positive impact on psychological, emotional and stress
responses.
“Take a sedentary person and ask them to air box as quickly and as
safely as they can and their heart rate will be elevated,” he said.
“The key element is to progress so over time the body will become
stronger.”
The book, which is not limited to office-friendly activity,
accommodates three levels of fitness: the beginner, the reasonably
fit and the exerciser seeking maximum intensity.
A 2013 report by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) says
that HIIT training has been shown to improve aerobic and anaerobic
fitness, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, abdominal fat and
body weight while maintaining muscle mass.
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ACSM recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical
activity five days per week, or 20 minutes of more vigorous activity
three days per week.
Dr. Mark Kelly, an exercise physiologist and lecturer at California
State University, Fullerton, said HIIT is very effective in
achieving conditioning effects with short periods, if both the body
and mind build up gradually to high intensity.
“Unfortunately you need to go really hard if you are going really
short,” he said.
Kelly added that continuous moderate exercise also has its benefits.
“Many are claiming that just moving or standing is more beneficial
for disease avoidance than a quick workout in a day surrounded by
laziness,” he said.
Foy thinks the dialogue around fitness has to change.
“Too many people say the only reason they exercise is that they want
to lose weight,” he said, adding that the fitness community should
spread the word that exercise makes people feel better.
(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Jonathan Oatis)
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