"An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away," says a famous English proverb, which is supposed to improve nutrition. The minimal effort of eating an apple a day is said to keep people healthy. Health includes not only food, but also exercise. Is the new sports adage, "A Minute A Day Keeps The Doctor Away"? New studies show that a few seconds of exercise is effective enough for results. en workout per day is enough.
Three seconds of training per day
A recent study by Dr. Masatoshi Nakamura of Saga University in Japan has shown that even short training sessions can make a significant difference. In the study, there were a total of three training groups and one control group that did not train. The three training groups did either isometric, concentric or eccentric training in which they were given a weight to hold. Weight training was done for six seconds (three seconds per arm) five days a week for four weeks. This showed a significant muscle gain over the group that did not train, even though the training groups only trained for an approximate minute during the entire month.
Group | Training | Kraftzuwachs |
Group A1 (n=13) | Isometric training | +7.2 % increase in eccentric strength |
Group A2 (n=13) | Concentric training | +6.3 % increase in isometric strength |
Group A3 (n=13) | Eccentric training | +12.8 % concentric strength +10.2 % isometric strength +12.2 % eccentric strength |
Group B (n=10) | No training | +0.0% |
Isometric training: muscle does not change length (e.g. holding weight in hand).
Concentric training: shortening of the muscle, contracting muscle (e.g. lifting weight in hand)
Eccentric training: lengthening of the muscle (e.g. bring down lifted weight in hand)
So it's possible to have an effective yet short workout, all without muscle soreness! This efficiency has not yet been studied in other muscles, but if this works for any muscle, effective full-body workouts will take no longer than 30 seconds in the future, according to Dr. Nakamura.
60 seconds jogging
Dr. Nakamura's study is not the only study showing that short workouts help! A study from McMaster University in Hamilton shows that 60 seconds of vigorous exercise is as effective as 45 minutes of light exercise.
In this study, two groups exercised either SIT (Sprint Interval Training) or MICT (Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training). They were also compared to a control group that did not exercise at all. Endurance training was done three times a week for three months. The SIT group sprinted through interval training for a total of 60 seconds, where the MICT group jogged at a normal pace for 45 minutes.
The result shows that both training groups improved their endurance by 19%, although the SIT group trained for much less time!
Both studies show that a short workout can be just as effective as a long one. Still, you need to know which workout to do and how. The fitness coach in the studio can help with this, or the Smart Split workouts with the SensAI app, which will soon be available and can already be tested. Whether with or without weight, the workout can be personalized. In contrast to the studio, the trip to the studio is completely eliminated and you can complete a short effective workout from the comfort of your home!
Resources:
Masatoshi Nakamura et al.: Effect of daily 3-s maximum voluntary isometric, concentric, or eccentric contraction on elbow flexor strength. 2022, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14138.
Gillen JB et al.: Twelve Weeks of Sprint Interval Training Improves Indices of Cardiometabolic Health Similar to Traditional Endurance Training despite a Five-Fold Lower Exercise Volume and Time Commitment. 2016, PLoS ONE 11(4): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154075.