A week's worth of exercise in less than an hour

LONDON — People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse.

Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze a week's workout into less than an hour. Those regimens — also called interval training — were originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people.

But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise — and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say.

"High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise," said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well ... we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising."

Studies on intense training have been published in sports-medicine journals and have largely been based on young, healthy people. Experts say more studies are needed on how older and less fit populations handle this type of exercise before it can be recommended more widely.

Intense interval training means working very hard for a few minutes, with rest periods between sets. Experts have mostly tested people running or biking, but other sports such as rowing or swimming should also work.

Helgerud recommends people try four sessions lasting four minutes each, with three minutes of recovery time in between. Unless you're an elite athlete, it shouldn't be an all-out effort.

"You should be a little out of breath, but you shouldn't have the obvious feeling of exhaustion," Helgerud said.

In Britain and the United States, officials recommend that people get about 2 ½ hours each week of moderate exercise. Those guidelines target a mostly sedentary population and are intended to help with weight control and heart health, not boosting fitness levels, increasing strength or endurance.

Some experts cautioned that ordinary people shouldn't substitute their regular exercise routine for intense training.

"There isn't enough evidence to say people should do one or the other," said Gary O'Donovan, a sports and exercise expert at the University of Exeter. "Any bout of exercise has the potential to improve your blood pressure or lower your cholesterol, and it doesn't necessarily have to be intense."

Still, O'Donovan said more intense exercise would probably produce better benefits.

Experts continue to advise people to consult a doctor before starting any fitness program.

Experts say intense bursts of activity are what the body needs to build stronger muscles. Traditional workouts lasting an hour or more don't push the body enough.

"A lot of the (benefits) from exercise are due to a stress response," said Stephen Bailey, a sports-sciences expert at the University of Exeter. "If you disturb your muscles, there's an imbalance created and your body will start signaling pathways that result in adjustments."

Bailey said intense bursts of exercise help the body to convert one type of muscle fiber into another type that uses oxygen more efficiently and is capable of exercising a lot longer. Even though interval training only takes a few minutes, its effects last for hours.

That creates a higher metabolism for several hours afterward, which the body will bring down by burning fat and carbohydrates.