6 reasons to get serious about interval training

Did you know that just two minutes of interval training has the same effect on your body as 30 minutes of regular exercise? That’s not a typo. Here’s how it works.  

In 2013, the world went mad for the seven-minute workout. In 2016, it was the one-minute workout. But as workouts get shorter, we’re told that results get better. How does that work?

It all comes down to interval training. 

Interval training is when your incorporate short bursts of intense activity into your workout – say, 30 seconds of cycling, star jumps, crunches, or sprints as if your life depended on it – followed by 90 or so seconds of more gentle activity. 

Endurance athlete and AIA Vitality ambassador Sam Gash is an avid fan of interval training, and regularly works in sprint intervals into her running routine.  

“It’s one of the most efficient ways of actually improving your aerobic capacity,” she says. “It’s also a really good use of time. I could go out for a three hour run, or I could do an interval session for an hour or so.”

Interval training, Tabata and HIIT workouts are types of anaerobic exercise, which involve quick bursts of energy at max capacity. Anaerobic exercise uses stored energy in your muscles (rather than oxygen) and also breaks down glucose. This is all happening in your body during those 30-second bursts.

But when you’re in your ‘gentle’ mode (which isn’t really that gentle!), your aerobic form kicks in. Your breathing and heart rate increase as more blood is pumped around your body, and you start using oxygen to convert stored carbs into energy. 

The more your body acclimatises to operating in this anaerobic/aerobic manner, the better your muscles may become at working hard – and efficiently – before they get tired or sore. 

Sam, who has run 200kms non-stop through the Himalayas and 379km – also non-stop – across Australia’s Simpson Desert (along with a host of other incredible feats!), says that interval training is also a powerful tool in building resilience. “It’s a really good tool to remind ourselves of our capacity to survive in discomfort,” she says. 

Looking for more reasons why you should incorporate interval training into your next workout? Say no more. 

Working in shorter intervals may boost your cardio-respiratory health, compared to doing longer, more continuous workouts. When you and your heart are fit, the better you may be at running further or swimming faster without getting puffed or tired, which may also reduce the chances of heart disease. 

Speaking of our hearts, when you switch up the intensity of how much you push yourself, you’re also exercising the heart muscle, which provides a great cardio workout and improves your aerobic capacity. It’s also a great way to build on your existing strength – literally. “Interval training encourages your foundation of basic strength training, which is really good because the stronger frame is, the more your body can carry into interval training,” Sam says.

If you’re short on time, you can still fit in a workout that works. Even four minutes is long enough to work up a sweat, and reap the benefits. Research has shown that three 15-minute workouts per week may help you reach your health goals more quickly than running for an hour on the treadmill. 

When you’re hard at it, you’re already burning energy, so go, you good thing! But when you team it with interval training, your body starts repairing itself more quickly, and you’ll continue burning fat after you’ve stopped exercising. This is often referred to as ‘afterburn’ and it happens when your metabolism is still in overdrive from your workout

“Variety can also enhance enjoyment,” Sam explains, “so that not every run or every exercise looks the same. It’s also a great way to increase intensity without using any equipment.” One day, you might focus on adding a 30 second sprint to your jog, a 30 second run to your walk, or 30 seconds of intense crunches, planks, star jumps or lunges to your workout.  

A bike or a skipping rope can add other elements to your workouts, but really you just need the drive to run as fast as you can, get those knees up as high as you can, drop to the floor for a round of burpees, and do a round of star jumps, you’ve got it in the bag.

Like any new exercise, it’s important to start slow. “Be careful to build up your intensity,” Sam advises. “You don’t need to go all out straight away.”

Instead, introduce one or two sessions into your workout each week. If you feel that you’re working too hard, slow it down. As your endurance builds, start challenging yourself to a more intense pace. 

This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.