Work harder, not longer for results

Morning North8:17Wellness column - interval training

Exercising to the brink of exhaustion... and it's benefits. For our wellness column, the CBC's Jan Lakes speaks with YMCA trainer and wellness coach Brian Woods about the benefits of interval training.

When it comes getting fit,YMCA Sudbury trainer and wellness coach Brian Woods saysone can achieve the same results in 25 minutes versus 60.

The catch is, you have to push yourself to the point of exhaustion.

"If you give yourself these little bursts of activity usually 15 to 30 seconds with two to three minutes recovery in between these exertion periods you accomplish as much with between 10 and 12 of these little 30-second intervals as you would riding a bike for a hourat a relatively good, steady state pace or tempo," Woods said.

Not everyone enjoys pushing themselves to the point where they need to make themselves very uncomfortable many times during the workout, the trainer acknowledged.

"To realize you are struggling, that your legs are failing, that your lungs aren't supplying enough air and you have to stop, gasp, recover and them come back and do it again."

If you tax your body to the point that itrealizes that it needs more energy andoxygen, over time it learns how to scavengeextra glycogen and oxygen to make it more effective and stronger, Woods said.

Another benefit of interval trainingis your body continues to burn and metabolizeenergyat a high rateeven after working out, he added.Athletes who need to be explosive and powerfulcan benefitmost from this type of training. In the end, interval training increases one's fitness and turns body fat into muscle faster.

Woods said it's a great benefit if you don't mind doing five minutes of burpees instead of running on the treadmill for 30minutes.