Shorten Your Runs - We don’t have to spend hours working out. Training for as little as one minute could actually be more effective.

A study at McMaster University in Canada, recruited 27 sedentary people who were asked to perform three weekly sessions of either intense or moderate exercise, three times per week, for three months.

It found those doing one minute of intensive exercise reaped the same heart, respiratory and muscular benefits, as those undertaking 45 minutes of more typical moderate, continuous exercise.

But be warned. The extent of reduction in total exercise and time commitment is related to how hard we’re willing to push ourselves.

This means that in order for it to be effective, the 60 seconds needs to be at all-out, 9 or 10 out of 10 effort, with a few repetitions, in order to reap the benefits. The great thing about intervals is we can do them no matter our level of fitness, building up the number of repetitions as we get fitter.

Try adding one interval session per week, aiming for 5 to 10, 60 second flat out efforts. (Remember to warm up and cool down).