Get Fit in 60 Seconds?

Well, maybe not just 60 seconds; more like 60 seconds of “all out” cycling and 9 additional minutes of lower intensity exercise. Sound good? Read on to see how.

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week, or a combination of both. But, according to the CDC, less than half of adult Americans achieve this.

The most common excuse for not reaching the 150 minutes or 75 minute goal is “lack of time.” To challenge this excuse, researchers have found that short bursts of intense exercise can be as effective as longer durations of endurance trainings.

Researchers out of Canada compared groups of men taking part in either 10 minutes of Short Intensity Training or 50 minutes of Moderate-Intensity Training. Participants in the 10 minute workout had a 2 minute warm up, then 20 seconds of an “all out” cycling sprint, followed by 2 minutes of low-intensity cycling, then 20 more seconds of “all out” cycling sprint, then 2 more minutes of low-intensity cycling, followed by the last 20 second “all out” sprint, followed by a 3 minute cool down. Participants in the 50 minute program did a 2 minute warm up, then 45 minutes of continuous moderate cycling, followed by a 3 minute cool down period.

After 12 weeks of exercising 3 times a week, researchers found that both exercise groups had improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, insulin sensitivity, and levels of mitochondria in skeletal muscle. Based on these findings, researchers concluded that short bursts of vigorous exercise are just as beneficial as longer durations of less intensive exercise.

Ten minutes of exercise 3 times a week is harder to make excuses for avoiding. If you are looking to improve your cardiovascular health and improve blood sugar, 30 minutes of the right type of exercise each week can help. If you are looking to burn calories and lose weight, you may have to exercise for longer than 30 minutes a week, but it’s a good start. Exercise is key to losing weight after gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band surgery, in addition to sticking to your post bariatric surgery diet. So, no more “I don’t have the time to exercise” excuses. Get exercising at least three times a week and improve your health!

The above is offered by Dr. Shillingford, M.D., P.A., a board certified surgeon specializing in laparoscopic and obesity surgery. Dr. Shillingford performs gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band surgery on patients in the South Florida area. His bariatric patients often come from Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Wellington, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, as well as far away as Orlando, Jacksonville, and Tampa. Dr. Shillingford encourages exercise in his bariatric patients, but be sure you have been cleared by Dr. Shillingford before beginning an exercise regime after your gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band surgery.