Not everyone has the time to squeeze in an hour-long workout at the gym every day.
And in good news for time-poor exercise junkies, experts claim all you need to stay fit and healthy is 180 seconds worth of high-intensity movement five times per week.
Elite sports physiotherapist Kusal Goonewardena, who has worked with Australian athletes, told the Daily Telegraph a quick three-minute workout five times every week is a surefire way to train your body into craving more and more exercise.
According to elite fitness expert Kusal Goonewardena, three minutes of a high-intensity workout is all you need each day (Stock image)
A quick three-minute workout five times every week is a surefire way to train your body into craving more and more exercise (Stock image)
‘It gives the body momentum to take it to another level, once you push yourself outside of your comfort zone and get the benefits, it becomes a habit for you and the body starts to crave more and more exercise,’ he told the publication.
According to Kusal, the three-minute workouts should be of a minimum 85 per cent intensity using a vigorous routine.
The fitness expert says reaching 85 per cent intensity in a short period has the same effects as a 30 minute low-intensity workout.
This can include three minutes of non-stop skipping, sprinting or star jumps which raises your heart rate and releases endorphins.
According to Kusal, the three-minute workouts should be a minimum 85 per cent intensity using a vigorous routine such as sprinting or star jumps (stock image)
Kusal says reaching 85 per cent intensity in a three-minute period has the same effects as a 30 minute low-intensity workout
Doing a 180 second high-intensity workout five times a week will condition your body into craving more, Kusal says (stock image)
Kusal says ‘blitzing’ your body with 180 seconds worth of strenuous activity every day over three weeks will result in a desire for more intense, longer workouts as you get fitter.
‘If you simply stick to the three-minute workout, the high intensity interval training, that will be enough, if you only do three minutes training, then do it five days out of seven,’ he adds.
‘If you combine it with some low-intensity and moderate-intensity than only do about two sessions a week.’
This quick and simple method is also referred to as high-intensity training, or HIIT, a popular fitness theory that small bursts of intense exercise are far more effective than slow-burning workouts.
Examples of HIIT workouts can also include three minutes of fierce peddling on an exercise bike or running at top speed on the treadmill.
‘Blitzing’ your body with 180 seconds worth of strenuous activity over 21 days will result in a desire for more intense, longer workouts as you get fitter (Stock image)
This simple method is also referred to as high-intensity training, or HIT, a popular fitness theory that small bursts of intense exercise are far more effective than slow-burning workouts (Stock image)