One minute of all-out training may have benefits of 45 minutes of moderate exercise

Now that’s the kind of workout that we can commit to…

This might be the best piece of news since, well, ever.

If like us you want to exercise, you try to exercise, you even buy equipment to inspire you to exercise (we all have a giant silver yoga ball from 2006 hiding in a cupboard) but despite your best efforts you can never get around to it, then this is for you.

New scientific research has revealed that a short intensive workout could be just as effective as a long gentler one. This is such great news.

No one’s disputing the benefits of exercise. Even if we’re not all great at putting in the hours, it’s essential – keeping us fit, healthy and strong, reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. It’s all round good.

There’s just one problem: it takes time and commitment and for those of us with busy jobs and families to feed, it often gets pushed down the priorities list. Even those of us with empty diaries find it hard to schedule in 45 minutes of heavy sweating on a cross-trainer - it’s not very appealing when you could be on Instagram or you know, doing anything else.

According to new research however it seems that it’s possible to put in the minimum amount of time and reap the maximum in terms of rewards. A new study of interval training has revealed that 60 seconds of intense and strenuous workout can be as beneficial for your health and fitness as 45 minutes of moderate exercise.

No, we’re not kidding – you can genuinely replace a long and boring workout with an intense one-minute burst of high-intensity training. Think of it like ripping off a plaster.

It’s appeal is obvious – your workout is over in a mere 60 seconds, leaving you an additional 44 minutes to recover.

Don’t get us wrong, the high-intensity interval training that we talk about is still extremely tough – consisting of draining but brief bursts of exercise, but the fact that it has the same physiological effects as a 45 minute jog makes it pretty appealing by comparison

Athletes have sworn by these exercise methods for decades, reaping the benefits, but it is only recently that ordinary people like us have thought about giving it a go. So the next time that you’re ‘too busy’ to fit in an hour-long exercise class, why not workout for a minute instead?