martin gibala, professor at mcmaster’s department of kinesiology, was recently interviewed in the new york times about the popular exercise, where you challenge your cardiovascular system with a short burst of intense exercise followed by a rest or slow down.
in 2006, his lab published a study comparing interval training with traditional endurance training. interval trainers completed 12 minutes of intense exercise, while the traditional group completed about 12 hours of exercise. both saw improved measures of fitness.
another study published at the beginning of the year, when many gyms were still closed because of covid-19, found simple bodyweight exercises are an efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness.
advertisement