The 60 second fitness trick that could help you stay in shape

Want to get in shape? You know the drill, time to hit up the gym. At first we thought pounding the treadmill for hours on end was the only way to up your fitness. But then came the birth of HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, which saw us squeezing micro workouts into our lunchbreaks or in between after work cocktails.

But what if keeping fit and healthy could be squeezed into an even shorter timeframe? Just 60 seconds to be precise? Well, that’s exactly what one fitness expert advocates.

Adam MacDougall, an Australian rugby league player turned fitspo believes staying fit and healthy could be as simple as doing a few quick exercises during the ad break of your favourite TV programme.

And science suggests he could well be onto something. Previous research from McMasters University Canada revealed that working out in a minute can not only increase your fitness, but also improve your endurance levels.

For the study participants were split into groups. The first group followed the recommended health guideline workout of 50 minutes of moderate intensity exercise three times a week, by riding a stationary exercise bike. The other group also had to ride an exercise bike but had to peddle as hard as they could for just 20 seconds. They then rested for two minutes before repeating this 20 second sprint two more times, or for a total of just one minute’s intense exercise.

The results of the study were revealed after 12 weeks and showed that both groups had improved their endurance by 20 per cent and enjoyed huge improvements in muscle and blood sugar control.

And that isn’t the only study suggesting that short bouts of intense exercise can be just as beneficial to health and fitness as slogging away in the gym for hours.

Fitness pro Adam MacDougall believes that “snack exercising” could be the key to staying in shape for those of us who are working to time-poor schedules.

“Even more exciting, is that these methods do not require any expensive gym membership or fancy equipment. All you need is a clock and two arms and legs,” he wrote in news.com.au.

“A workout you do even in the ad breaks of your favourite TV show three times a week could be sprint on the spot for just 20 seconds, then watch your TV show again and repeat this three times. Really, this is how simple it can be,” he continued.

But he did have a word of warning for those thinking a gentle jog around the living room in between episodes of ‘Girls’ would be enough.

“Remember, the key is intensity,” he wrote.

For those looking to test it out, Adam suggests mixing up the type of exercise you do in each ad break. You could try a routine of squats, push-ups and lunges or for the really brave a complete break full of burpees. *Gulps*

“The options are endless, from squats to burpees. You just need to go as fast as you can,” he says.

Keeping fit just got a whole lot easier. Sort of.

Do you think exercising in the ad breaks is a good way of keeping fit? Let us know @YahooStyleUK

6 ways sleeping naked is good for your health

What I learned from trying the 5:2 fasting diet