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Seven minute workout just as healthy as long run, study says

Seven minute workout just as healthy as long run, study says

Behold the painful, yet short workout.

Time and time again we've been told that short high-intensity workouts can be just as effective as long endurance training, if performed correctly.

And now, new research suggests that a seven minute high-intensity workout using a chair and 12 moves, each 30 seconds long, is equally as efficient for weight loss and overall health as long endurance training.

“Established research has proven that it works,” study author Chris Jordan from the Human Performance Institute in Orlando tells the Toronto Star. “We know that high-intensity interval training is just as effective as longer endurance training, usually in a shorter time.”

Also see: Walking is just as healthy as running, study reveals

Published in the May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, the study claims that the seven minute routine should not be performed more than three to four times a week. Each move is to be done 15-20 times with a 5-10 second break in between, alternating between upper and lower body exercises.

Scroll through the slideshow below to see the full sample workout.

“A lot of business people use it or people who just can’t afford to get to a gym,” says Jordan.

It's worth noting, however, that high-intensity interval training is nothing new. Its origins date back to the 1950s when the now retired British neurologist and former athlete Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes.

Also see: Could a four-minute workout be all you need?

This particular interval routine draws on previous research from kinesiologist Martin Gibala at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., who discovered that maximum capacity training for a few minutes produces molecular changes within muscles comparable to several hours of running or bike riding, reports the New York Times. It can produce large benefits for heart, lungs, muscles and the metabolic system.

However, Gibala tells the Toronto Star that this routine is more beneficial from a strength training perceptive and less from a cardiovascular and aerobic perspective.

What are your thoughts on high-intensity interval training? Have you ever tried it? Is the intense pain and burn you feel worth the time you save?