Short bursts of training 'better than hours on the treadmill'

Hours spent on the treadmill or cross trainer could become worthless over time unless people mix up their routine, he said.

Canadian researchers said last month that the body could get as much benefit from short intense bursts of exercise lasting 10 minutes – known as interval training – as from 10 hours of moderate training.

Experts asked people to run or cycle at almost maximum effort for a minute and then rest for a minute before repeating the exercises 10 times.

Today Graeme Marsh, a personal training manager for Virgin Active, said people could be wasting hours in the gym by doing the same routine they always do.

"If your training on the treadmill is always eight miles per hour for 45 minutes then you are going to see diminishing returns very quickly," he said.

"Over time you will get less and less from it in terms of fitness improvements.

"There's a saying in the industry that if you keep doing what you're doing you're going to keep getting what you get.

"So, if you go to the gym and always do the same routine, you are not going to see amazing results."

Mr Marsh said interval training could help people get quicker results and improve their fitness.

While regular "steady-state" training does have its place, interval training could help those who have less time to spend in the gym.

It can be carried out on various gym equipment, including the treadmill or exercise bike, Mr Marsh said.

He suggests people work at a high intensity – at eight or nine out of 10 for up to a minute – then recover for two to four minutes.

They should mark their progress over time by either doing harder intervals of intense training or through taking shorter recovery intervals.

Mr Marsh said: "The theory behind interval training is that by working at higher intensity you increase your metabolic 'engine'.

"Research has shown that with higher intensity training you get changes in enzymes and hormones that favour fat burning."