It's become pretty obvious to me that a daily workout of 45 minutes is unnatural.
We were simply not designed to endure that kind of prolonged exertion…
How did that fit into hunting for food? Did our ancestors do unnecessary daily workouts? Of course not!
Our ancestors had to be able to accelerate to 100% of their energy capacity — FAST. Or they might become someohing else’s dinner. Something BIG!.
They had to do the same thing to chase down their own food. A tough life indeeed, but we were built for those kinds of challenges.
And we still are.
Our body is still adapted for a life and death struggle between predator and prey.
Some fitness “experts” still deny this primal truth. They still have you doing long, drawn-out sessions of cardio.
It isn't natural. Research now shows that less is much more in working out. Believe it or not, a couple of minutes of the right kind of exercise may be all you need.
Here's how we know we're right.
Researchers at an Australian University compared 8 young adult exercisers. They tried out three different workout plans.
First, they rode a bicycle continuously for 30 minutes, but never at more than half of their max effort.
Next, they did five four-minute cycling sessions, pedalling at 75% of maximum capacity. They had a one-minute rest and recovery time.
Finally, they did four sprints, cycling as fast as they could, but only for 30 seconds at a time. And between each sprint, they rested for four-and-a-half minutes. This equals a total of only two minutes of exertion.
The Two Minute Test
The researchers found two minutes of sprinting was just as good as the slower 30-minute ride at the cellular level.
Halleluja! I hate those long bike rides going nowhere!
The Mitochondrial Connection
You see, the intense two-minute workout invigorated the riders’ mitochondria.
These are the cells in your body that act like ultra-miniature batteries. They produce the energy your cells need to function.
These short bursts don’t just access more energy from the mitochondria we already have. here's the big payoff: the studies show that 30-second bouts of high-intensity cycling generates NEW healthy mitochondria.
As we get older our supply of these dynamos falls. Our energy plummets.
So it follows that a key to staying young is creating MORE mitochondria to produce more energy.
Other research proves that short intense workouts:
- Reduce the risk of death
- Lower the risk of heart disease
- Build lung power and boost oxygen
- Lengthen telomeres
- Reverse insulin resistance
How To Boost Your Mitochondria with One Quick Exercise
Here’s a powerful exercise you can do right in your own living room. You can squeeze it in whenever you have a few minutes to spare.
It’s a functional strength workout for your upper body and core muscles around your belly.
- Lower yourself into the push-up position.
- Keeping your left leg straight, push off with your feet and bring your right knee toward your chest, landing with your right knee bent and your right foot on the ground.
- Push off again, straightening your right leg while bringing your left knee forward. The momentum of your legs should resemble riding a bicycle.
- Do these as quickly as you can for 30 seconds, then recover.
- Repeat the circuit two more times for a total of three sets.
At first, you’ll have to take longer breaks, but they’ll get shorter as you build your natural strength.
Stay with it and I'll see you around.. and around.. and around!