Five simple exercises, 11 minutes is all you need.
McMaster University researchers have found that doing a few basic exercises for 11 minutes, just three times a week, can improve your fitness.
Kinesiologists at McMaster examined the effectiveness of old-school physical training, finding that simple body weight exercises, when performed vigorously over short periods, improve cardiorespiratory fitness.
The new study was modelled on classic principles of physical education and a fitness plan known as 5BX" or five basic exercises, originally developed in the 1950s by Dr. Bill Orban for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The 11-minute workout includes:
1) Warm up: Stand with feet apart, arms stretched above your head. Bend forwards to touch the floor, then stretch up and bend backwards. Bend knees if needed. Repeat for two minutes.
2) Sit ups: Lie on your back with feet about six inches apart, arms at sides. Sit up just far enough to see your heels. Keep legs straight. Head and shoulders must clear the floor. One minute.
3) Leg lift: Lie on your front, palms under thighs. Raise your head and one leg. Repeat using alternate legs. Keep your leg straight; thighs must lift above your palms. One minute.
4) Push ups: Lie on your front, palms under shoulders. Straighten arms to lift your upper body from the knee, then, keeping your body straight, bend arms until chest touches the floor. Repeat. One minute.
5) Running on the spot: Run on the spot, counting a step each time your left foot touches the floor. Lift feet about four inches off the floor. After 75 steps, do 10 scissor jumps" - stand and extend your right leg and left arm forward, left leg and right arm back. Jump, changing position of arms and legs in mid-air. Six minutes.
The plan is not dependent on any specialized facilities or equipment and can be scaled to suit an individual's fitness level, ideal for pandemic times when lockdowns are in effect.
The exercises included simple calisthenics such as running in place, modified burpees and squat jumps. Participants performed the activities at a self-selected challenging" pace, interspersed with light active recovery periods.
The 11-minute routine, which included a brief warm-up, does not demand extraordinarily high levels of motivation or all out" efforts, which are common to many intense interval training approaches.
After six weeks of training, three times per week, cardiorespiratory fitness was higher than in a control group that did not exercise.
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