Study suggests four-second workout can be good for your health. (Source: Getty Images)
We often complain about not being able to take out time from our busy schedule to exercise. But what if you are told that all you need need is to invest in just four seconds for exercise to reap its benefits?
The results of a study recently published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that just four seconds of “all-out” sprints (running at full speed over a short distance) every hour could be good for people who otherwise sat for eight hours without much physical movement. For this, you can do sprints of maximal intensity on a stationary bike.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin got eight healthy young men and women to sit for an entire day; they got up only to eat or go to the bathroom. On another day, they sprinted for a few seconds on a bicycle with no resistance at intervals, while resting.
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It was noticed that the four-second burned more fat and led to lower levels of trigycerides the following day.
Triglycerides are a fat in the blood which may increase with the excess consumption of greasy food or more calories. High triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart disease. “Physical inactivity, characterised by prolonged sitting and a low step count elevates PPL (triglycerides) and thus risk of disease,” mentioned the study.
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With most of us stuck in front of our laptops for hours while working from home during the lockdown, experts recommend getting up once in a while and do some stretching and exercise to keep fit, while keeping blood sugar and triglyceride in check. Lead author of the study Dr Ed Coyle was quoted as saying by Men’s Health, “When you find yourself sitting for most of the day, try to rise frequently and move, preferably intensely, as often during the day as possible and for as many seconds as you can manage.”