0:00:02 > 0:00:05I'm medical journalist Dr Michael Mosley.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07It's that time of year when, like most of us,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I'm already struggling with my New Year's resolution
0:00:10 > 0:00:12to become much more active.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Ooh! Now, I know I should do more regular exercise
0:00:22 > 0:00:25but the honest truth is, I have neither the time
0:00:25 > 0:00:26nor the inclination.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31What I want is the absolute maximum gain for the minimum pain.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38The good news is that new science is giving us the best ways to keep fit,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41without taking up too much time.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46More research is going into exercise than ever before and I'm delighted,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48because what the latest science is showing us
0:00:48 > 0:00:52is the most effective ways to get fit and healthy
0:00:52 > 0:00:54with the minimum sweat.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56So I'm teaming up with the scientists...
0:00:56 > 0:00:57Off you go.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00..who are turning what we know about fitness on its head.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02That's excellent.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Together, we'll show you a far more effective way to walk yourself fit
0:01:06 > 0:01:08than 10,000 steps...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- Going to follow me?- Yes! - Here we go. Right.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13A little bit faster.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16..how two minutes of intense exercise a week
0:01:16 > 0:01:18may be all you need...
0:01:18 > 0:01:20That's quite an easy way to get back into fitness.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23..the latest research that will help you
0:01:23 > 0:01:26actually stick to your fitness plans...
0:01:26 > 0:01:28If you're relying on willpower for you to exercise,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30it will probably fail.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34..and the activity that can make you instantly cleverer.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It's so amazing to see the results, because I just think,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40"I can shake, shake, shake, but actually to know, wow, I'm getting smarter..."
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Whether you want to get fit, look good, lose weight,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47gain strength or be healthier,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50we're going to use the latest research to find
0:01:50 > 0:01:53the most effective ways for you.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55This is The Truth About Getting Fit.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05We don't all love the gym.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09In fact, 20 million Brits are classed as physically inactive.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12But, if you are unfit, scientific studies show
0:02:12 > 0:02:16you'll make the biggest health gains from doing even a little exercise.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19So, what shape are you in right now?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24How can you tell how fit you are at the moment?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Well, I'm going to show you a couple of simple tests you can do at home,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30without having to use any fancy equipment.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31Very good! Faster!
0:02:33 > 0:02:36These are tests you can do right now in your house
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and they will give you a quick, but reasonably accurate,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40measure of your current fitness.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Helping me is Professor Lorna Paul,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48a health scientist at Glasgow Caledonian University.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I like the idea that if you can't be bothered to go to the gym,
0:02:51 > 0:02:52you bring the gym to your house.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Yeah. And, indeed, that's what we've done. What we are going to do today
0:02:55 > 0:02:57is two tests that everybody can do in their own homes.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02The first test is how long it takes you to stand up and sit down
0:03:02 > 0:03:04from a chair ten times.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10All you need is a hard chair and a way of timing yourself.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16This test assesses one of the key aspects of fitness, our strength.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17It's an important test,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19because it's testing our big muscles in the lower limbs,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22so our quadriceps at the front, and our gluteals at the back.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- These big muscles.- Biggest muscles in your body!
0:03:25 > 0:03:29These muscles start to weaken if we don't use them,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31so it's the use it or lose it.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35It's the time it takes that gives you your score.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39That's 15. Well done. 17. Well done.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The faster, the better.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- How are we doing?- Eight seconds.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45OK! Good!
0:03:45 > 0:03:47This test is used around the world
0:03:47 > 0:03:50as a measure of how fit you are for your age.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Men under 35 should be able to do
0:03:54 > 0:03:55ten chair stands
0:03:55 > 0:03:58in ten seconds or less.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01For women, it's 12 seconds.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02If you're under 55,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05men should do it in 13 seconds.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Women in 15 seconds.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10And men over 55 should take
0:04:10 > 0:04:12less than 18 seconds.
0:04:12 > 0:04:1419 seconds if you are a woman.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16It's harder than it looks.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- Yeah.- Nine, ten.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Now it's time for test number two.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27So, although this is clearly a bit of gym kit,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29presumably you can just use the steps at home.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Yes, so if you've got stairs in your house
0:04:31 > 0:04:34or you've got a front doorstep, just use the step you've got at home.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37This is a test of aerobic fitness -
0:04:37 > 0:04:40how strong your heart and lungs really are.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43We're going to get you to step up and down on the step
0:04:43 > 0:04:44for three minutes.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But we're going to set the pace, and we want you to keep to the pace.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It's up, up, down, down.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- OK.- Up, up, down, down.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The key thing we're looking at is heart rate.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01The lower your heart rate, the fitter you are.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04If you're less fit, then your heart rate is going to have to go up more.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Yeah, your heart is going to have to pump harder to get that oxygen to
0:05:07 > 0:05:10your tissues. So that's why heart rate
0:05:10 > 0:05:13is a good indicator of your fitness.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Three minutes of steps later, it's time to take my pulse
0:05:16 > 0:05:18and work out my beats per minute.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21If you can't find it, think about where your index finger is,
0:05:21 > 0:05:22and just come straight down.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25If people find that hard, that might be a bit easier.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I reckon my pulse is about 96 at the moment.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30For a man of your age, we'd certainly be looking
0:05:30 > 0:05:32for a pulse under 115, so that's great.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35That's a good measure of fitness.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37What should your heart rate be?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40If you're under 35 and male,
0:05:40 > 0:05:41it should be
0:05:41 > 0:05:44under 105 beats per minute.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46For a woman, 110.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48If you're a man under 55,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50less than 110.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52115 for women.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Over 55 and male, 115.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Female, 120.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02So, those are a couple of tests you can do at home
0:06:02 > 0:06:04to measure how fit you are at the moment.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07But what should you do if you actually want to get fitter?
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Well, keep watching.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17One obvious way for most of us to get fitter is walking.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22But how much do you really need to do to make a difference?
0:06:22 > 0:06:28There is one number everyone bangs on about - 10,000 steps a day.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31These days, you see a lot of people wandering around,
0:06:31 > 0:06:32wearing something like this.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's an activity monitor. And, amongst other things,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38it keeps track of the number of steps you take.
0:06:38 > 0:06:4010,000 steps a day is the goal.
0:06:40 > 0:06:4410,000 steps to stay young and healthy for ever!
0:06:46 > 0:06:49It's become a huge health craze -
0:06:49 > 0:06:5313 million Brits now tracking their steps.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55But where does that magic number come from?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00In the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964,
0:07:00 > 0:07:05a company came up with a device they called a Manpo Meter.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08That literally means a 10,000 step meter.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So that magical figure didn't come as a result of
0:07:11 > 0:07:14rigorous scientific studies, but was actually the product
0:07:14 > 0:07:16of a clever marketing campaign.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It was clearly a great marketing slogan,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25but is 10,000 steps really worth doing?
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I've come to a factory in Sheffield,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32where six employees have agreed to help me put it to the test.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Hi, all. Hello.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Thank you very much for agreeing to take part in this.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40They all have different reasons for wanting to get fitter.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I'm very aware that I'm not as fit as I used to be
0:07:43 > 0:07:44and I've put a lot of weight on.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46My only hobby at the moment is knitting.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I've got a little six-year-old girl that runs about like a dafty
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and I can't catch her up.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55We're going to put the fabled 10,000 steps
0:07:55 > 0:07:58up against a much shorter walking target.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Running the experiment is Professor Rob Copeland,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04from Sheffield Hallam University.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07So, you're going to test 10,000 steps against something
0:08:07 > 0:08:10which may be more doable and more practical
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and also, perhaps, more effective?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14That's what we're really interested in,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16exploring this concept of 10,000 steps -
0:08:16 > 0:08:18is that really the best thing to aim for?
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Or is there something that perhaps you could fit into your life
0:08:21 > 0:08:24that might give you the same bang for your buck, if you like?
0:08:24 > 0:08:25Fantastic. I'm in, then.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Rob is splitting our six volunteers into two groups.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Today, Dave, Darren and Gillian
0:08:32 > 0:08:35will, a little reluctantly, be attempting to hit
0:08:35 > 0:08:37the 10,000 step target.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39That's around five miles.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43All I want you to do is to incorporate 10,000 steps
0:08:43 > 0:08:45into your normal day. Simple as that.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Meanwhile, Nathan, Gary and Judy
0:08:47 > 0:08:50will be trying something Rob calls Active Ten.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52What I'd like you to do today
0:08:52 > 0:08:57is try to incorporate three ten minutes of brisk walking
0:08:57 > 0:08:58into your normal day.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- We'll do it together.- We'll do it together.- And I'll race you.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Walking buddies.- Yes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05That's a good idea. I like that. It's a good idea.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Three sessions of an active ten minutes of brisk walking
0:09:09 > 0:09:14adds up to a total of around one and a half miles, more like 3,000 steps.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Rob wants to compare the health effects
0:09:18 > 0:09:19of these different approaches.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Everyone is given a monitor to track their activity.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26And Rob is particularly interested in how much
0:09:26 > 0:09:29they increase their heart rate.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Everyone goes back to work, with their new targets.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40The 10,000 step group have quite a challenge on their hands.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43To get 10,000 steps, today, one of the things I've been doing
0:09:43 > 0:09:45is parking my car further away from the factory.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47In an attempt to get my steps up,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I'm going to load the dishwasher item by item.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Fitting five miles of walking into a busy day can take some ingenuity.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04For the Active Ten group, the aim is to get their pace up,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07so they're working their heart and lungs.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10This should get them a bit out of breath.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12They can still talk, but not sing.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- You follow me?- Yes.- Here we go!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I'm joining them for their first brisk outing.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- ALL:- # It's a long way to Tipperary... #
0:10:21 > 0:10:23We're not going fast enough.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Shouldn't be able to sing!
0:10:25 > 0:10:27One ten-minute walk down, two to go.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The next morning, everyone is back at the factory
0:10:42 > 0:10:44to hand in their activity trackers.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48So, how easy was it for the volunteers to reach their targets?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51First, the 10,000 steps group.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Hi, gang. Good to see you again, looking lean and mean.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Gillian, Dave and Darren, two of you managed to achieve
0:10:59 > 0:11:03your target of 10,000 steps, so well done.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Darren, you actually managed to do 11,000, so that was fantastic.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Dave, you were slightly below that - you managed just over 5,000 steps.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- Slightly below.- Slightly below.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- Did you find it hard to hit that target?- Yeah.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21It took more time up from my day than I thought it was going to.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Dave, what do you think? You're shaking your head.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Yeah, no, I found it really difficult. I'm office-based.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I do, like, 2,000 normally, and I found it really hard work.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And what about the Active Ten group?
0:11:33 > 0:11:37Nathan, Judy, and Gary, you all managed to fit into your daily life
0:11:37 > 0:11:40these three ten-minute bouts of brisk walking,
0:11:40 > 0:11:41so that's absolutely fantastic.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Well done for that. Really good.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47So, how did you find doing those bursts of ten minutes?
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Quite easy, actually.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Me and Nathan chose to do it together on two occasions,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54which made it a bit more interesting as well.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55And who was the driving force?
0:11:55 > 0:11:59- Me.- Yeah, definitely, definitely. - Yeah.
0:12:00 > 0:12:0310,000 steps was harder to achieve,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07but which of our activities was better for health?
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The Active Ten group actually moved for 30% more
0:12:10 > 0:12:14in the moderate to vigorous physical activity intensity,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16even though you moved for less time.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And that's where you start to get the greatest health benefits.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21The recommended amount of exercise
0:12:21 > 0:12:26is 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29This means getting out of breath and increasing heart rate.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33So even though the Active Ten group spent less time moving,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37they did more worthwhile moderate exercise.
0:12:37 > 0:12:38What we wanted you to do, actually,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40was to get your heart beating faster.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43There's lots of evidence to suggest that you can lower your risk of
0:12:43 > 0:12:48diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, even up to 20%,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50if you can increase your physical activity.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52You going to join the club, Dave?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It's not a very good looking club, but I'll...
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- That's why we need you, Dave. - Raise the average age.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59That's why we need you.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03So, three short brisk walks were easier to fit in the day
0:13:03 > 0:13:04and better for health.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I thought that was really interesting
0:13:08 > 0:13:09and I found it very encouraging,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12because I really don't like doing 10,000 steps,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16so the fact that you can get similar, perhaps greater, benefits
0:13:16 > 0:13:19from a few brisk walks a day is enormously encouraging.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24To start doing some Active Tens in your day,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27you can download this free Public Health England app
0:13:27 > 0:13:29to see how much brisk walking you're doing,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31and how to do more.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41If even 30 minutes of walking a day sounds a little too much,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45then don't despair. It's possible to get significantly fitter
0:13:45 > 0:13:48in far, far, less time.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51There's a form of exercise which, it is claimed,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55can give you the benefit of a long workout in a fraction of the time.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's called Hiit - high-intensity interval training.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02It's said that just two minutes a week can transform your body.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09So, how much benefit can you really get from just two minutes a week?
0:14:09 > 0:14:11To find out, we're doing an experiment
0:14:11 > 0:14:13that has never been done before.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17We're installing an exercise bike in this London office.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21And six busy office workers will be putting it to the test.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Hi, all. Hello.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Thank you for volunteering.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27Do you think it's going to work?
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I really hope it will because, if it does,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33then that's quite an easy way to get back into fitness.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Personally, I don't think it's going to work.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I'm more used to doing an hour, hour and a half,
0:14:37 > 0:14:38of really intense exercise,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and feeling like I've had a proper workout.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46Dr Niels Vollaard is an exercise scientist and Hiit expert.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49First, he tests everyone's aerobic fitness,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52by measuring how efficiently their body uses oxygen.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55He will test them again in five weeks' time,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57to see if they've improved.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Now it's time for their first session of high-intensity training.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07They'll cycle as hard as they can, in just two bursts of 20 seconds.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Not as bad as I thought it was going to be, actually.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20Yeah, it's pretty good.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22It was harder than I expected.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I'd be delighted if it works.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28They have to do 40 seconds of high-intensity sprinting,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30three times a week.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33That means two minutes a week in total, plus a warm-up
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and cool-down each session.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41Niels's research has shown that one of the main ways Hiit seems to work
0:15:41 > 0:15:45is by triggering changes deep inside the muscles.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49He can detect these changes using an ultrasound on Igor,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50one of our volunteers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53So, what are you hoping to do here?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56So, we're going to measure Igor's muscle glycogen,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59or muscle sugar stores, here, before and after exercise.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05In this image of Igor's muscle, the dark areas are glycogen,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08a type of sugar that we store in our muscles.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Igor hasn't done any exercise today, so the muscles' sugar stores,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13at the moment, are full. So, 100%.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18Niels will measure his sugar store again after a Hiit sprint.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20So, are you ready to go?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Yep.- OK, right. Good luck.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35As Igor sprints, the sugar stored in his muscles is released,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38broken down and used to power the exercise.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42After the sprint, Niels measures the amount of sugar
0:16:42 > 0:16:45that's left in Igor's muscle.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47You looked as though you were going flat out.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49You are really going for it, there?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's definitely my max.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53There are now fewer dark areas,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57which means his glycogen stores have fallen.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00They can calculate exactly by how much.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03We have a result. He has a depletion
0:17:03 > 0:17:05of 24% on average for his whole muscle.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09OK, 24% of the sugar has been,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11sort of, bashed up, smashed up and removed.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13The body responds to this stress
0:17:13 > 0:17:17by trying to make itself more resilient. It stimulates genes
0:17:17 > 0:17:21which improve the function of the whole cardiovascular system.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26And so it's also affecting the heart and all sorts of other things?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Yeah. The adaptations will affect the whole body,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30even though they start off in the muscle.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- How are you feeling? Recovered? - Yeah, I've recovered.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- A little bit.- Another five goes?
0:17:36 > 0:17:37No. No way.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42All exercise releases some glycogen from our muscles,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but Hiit does it faster and more effectively.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54To achieve the same results with other types of exercise,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56you'd have to run for 45 minutes.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00But does it actually make you any fitter?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Five weeks later, Niels is back to find out.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12He's retesting the fitness of our office workers
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to see whether this novel exercise regime
0:18:15 > 0:18:17really has made any difference.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Yeah, we've analysed the results and I'm very pleased to say
0:18:21 > 0:18:23that all of you improved.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Charlie, you were our star performer -
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- 14% increase in your fitness levels. - Wow!
0:18:28 > 0:18:32As a group, the improvement that we saw in your fitness levels
0:18:32 > 0:18:36was on average 11%, which is an excellent improvement.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Are you surprised? - I'm very surprised, yeah.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42- Definitely.- I did run up the escalators today, and I did feel...
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I didn't feel as out of breath as I would normally have felt.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49An 11% increase in aerobic fitness is really impressive
0:18:49 > 0:18:54and, if they keep it up, has significant health benefits.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57You might think, "Oh, well, 11%, that's so-so."
0:18:57 > 0:18:59That's actually really good.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01We can compare that to risk of disease,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04risk of getting heart disease, for example.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09Your risk of getting heart disease over a certain amount of time
0:19:09 > 0:19:13has been reduced, on average, by about 20%.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Do you think that, having heard the numbers,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17you will be tempted now to keep going?
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- Yeah.- Absolutely.- Definitely.- You're all going for it, are you? OK, yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25In this office, it looks like the bike is here to stay.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Hiit, high-intensity training, isn't for everyone.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29If you prefer going for a long run
0:19:29 > 0:19:31or a vigorous game of football, great.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But if you're looking for something
0:19:33 > 0:19:35which gives you the maximum health benefits
0:19:35 > 0:19:39in the minimum possible time, then Hiit is it.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Hiit is clearly an incredibly efficient way
0:19:46 > 0:19:48to get the most out of exercise,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51but what if you don't have access to a Hiit bike?
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Until very recently, almost all the studies which have looked at
0:19:57 > 0:20:01the benefits of Hiit have been done on specialised bicycles.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04But there is really new research which has shown it's possible
0:20:04 > 0:20:08to get all those lovely benefits of Hiit without a bicycle -
0:20:08 > 0:20:11in fact, without even leaving your home.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- Hi, Beth.- Hi.- Come in.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21Dr Beth Phillips is an assistant professor at Nottingham University.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25She's going to show me the short programme of intense exercise
0:20:25 > 0:20:27that she has developed for you at home.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29What do I do?
0:20:29 > 0:20:33OK, so, this Hiit protocol is based around five minutes of hard work.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37First, it's some gentle jogging to warm up.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Feels slightly bonkers doing this inside, but still, yeah...
0:20:42 > 0:20:45The first exercise that we're going to go into is your star jumps,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48OK? So, you're going to do a minute, hard and as fast as you can,
0:20:48 > 0:20:49- so when you're ready...- I'm ready.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- Off you go.- OK.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Two, three, four...
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Well done. That's great.
0:20:55 > 0:20:5619, 20...
0:20:56 > 0:20:58- Try and keep the pace.- 21, 22...
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- And halfway.- Halfway?
0:21:00 > 0:21:04BETH CHUCKLES 32, 33...
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I have to do as many as I possibly can in one minute.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And three, two, one, and recover.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15So, that was about 57.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18After a brief recovery, it's exercise two -
0:21:18 > 0:21:20one minute of squats.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Make sure those knees don't go over your toes.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23That's it. Weight on the heels.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25- Well done.- 15, 16...
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Nearly there. Last five seconds.
0:21:29 > 0:21:3043...
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Three, two, one, and recover.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Oh, feel them thighs. 46.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40Now, exercise three - static sprinting.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Usain Bolt. That's it - keep it going, keep it going. Really good.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Well done. Keep going, come on.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48That's it. Great stuff. Well done.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Really good. Come on, keep that pace, keep that pace.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53That's it. Really, really well done.
0:21:53 > 0:21:5820 seconds left. Three, two, one, and recover.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00That was knackering!
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Ha!
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Certainly feel it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Now I do the squats and star jumps again to finish.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11That's it. Don't slow at the end. Keep it going.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Three, two, one, and recover.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Well done. Great work.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19End of. How did you find it?
0:22:19 > 0:22:23It was actually more intense than I was expecting it to be.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25- And no equipment. - No equipment at all.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29In Beth's research, people who did five minutes
0:22:29 > 0:22:32of these living-room exercises three times a week
0:22:32 > 0:22:36made the same impressive gains in fitness as those who used a bike
0:22:36 > 0:22:40in the lab. But it's worth getting a checkup before you start doing
0:22:40 > 0:22:43high-intensity exercise, especially if you've been
0:22:43 > 0:22:44inactive for a long time.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Try and get your knees up,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54try and get the thighs parallel to the floor.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56We've started by looking at the best ways
0:22:56 > 0:22:59to improve your aerobic fitness - your heart and lungs.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02But now I want to look at what the latest science says
0:23:02 > 0:23:05is the best way to get stronger.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Strength training is a hugely important part of getting fit,
0:23:10 > 0:23:11and it's often neglected.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14There is, however, a trend, particularly amongst young women,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18to building muscle under the slogan "strong over skinny".
0:23:19 > 0:23:23These hard-won abs and toned biceps are the results of hours
0:23:23 > 0:23:28pumping iron down the gym. But I'm hoping there might be an easier way.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32So, what's the best way to build muscle?
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Researchers from Glasgow University
0:23:34 > 0:23:37are about to start an intriguing study to find out.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Dr Stuart Gray and his colleague Danai Stefanaki
0:23:43 > 0:23:46want to test whether it's best to lift heavy weights
0:23:46 > 0:23:50or if you'll get just as good results from lifting light weights.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53They've got five female recruits
0:23:53 > 0:23:57who currently don't do any strength training.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Do you think that strength exercises are more typically a male thing?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Do you perceive it as that?
0:24:03 > 0:24:06I think, from my experience, certainly sometimes the gym I go to,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10the weights area is full of men.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11I think things are changing, though.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Young girls are much more inclined to go for strength now as opposed to
0:24:14 > 0:24:19skinny, so they're wanting muscles and six-packs and things and putting
0:24:19 > 0:24:23them up on Instagram rather than trying to look like Kate Moss.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26To compare the effects of light and heavy weights,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29they're going to use an unusual training method.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34With one arm, our volunteers will lift a heavy weight
0:24:34 > 0:24:36and with the other, a light weight.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And the same with the legs - heavy on one side, light on the other.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43So is there a risk we'll end up
0:24:43 > 0:24:47with one huge bicep and one not-so-huge bicep?
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I wouldn't like to prejudge. We shall wait and see
0:24:49 > 0:24:53what the result shows and we'll hopefully find out at the end.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55There's just one important rule.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58Both arms, regardless of the weight,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01have to go until you can't lift any more.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Stuart measures how strong they are at the start by asking them
0:25:05 > 0:25:07to lift the heaviest weight they can.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Up, up, up, up.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14He'll measure how much stronger they are at the end.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Now training can begin.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25They'll do two sessions a week for six weeks.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33My first training session was good. It was pretty tiring.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36I'm not really used to doing weights at all.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37I can feel it already,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39so I think tomorrow it's going to be even worse.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40I felt really strange.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Obviously, the heavy one feels really strong on your arm,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46whereas the light one feels like you're almost repeating nothing.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51I'm feeling worked out and I've only been here a few minutes.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Strength training is important for our mobility and our health.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59If we don't do it, there's a natural muscle wastage as we get older.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Normally about the age of 35, people will start to lose muscle -
0:26:04 > 0:26:07roughly about 1% of your muscle mass every year.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10You probably won't notice it until you kind of cross a threshold
0:26:10 > 0:26:12where you lose the ability to carry out things,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15tasks you could normally do, like climbing up the stairs,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17getting off a chair and these kind of things.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21The good news is, this loss of muscle mass can be prevented -
0:26:21 > 0:26:23at any age.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26So, these are MRI images which are looking down
0:26:26 > 0:26:30into somebody's thigh from the top. You can see the kind of bone here.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31A cross-section through the thigh?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Yeah, and then you've got the muscle tissue
0:26:33 > 0:26:36and then you've got the fat just under the skin, round the edge.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40So this is a 65-year-old who is relatively sedentary,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43doesn't do a lot of physical activity at all,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and this is a 65-year-old who has throughout their life
0:26:45 > 0:26:47done a lot of physical activity.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50As well as maintaining mobility,
0:26:50 > 0:26:55there are other important benefits to having bigger, stronger muscles.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58They can reduce our risk of type-two diabetes.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Muscle is the main place where sugar goes when you eat a meal,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05so this muscle here is going to be able to take a lot more sugar
0:27:05 > 0:27:08than this muscle here, because of the size and quality of the muscle,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12and if the sugar doesn't come out of the blood
0:27:12 > 0:27:14and hangs about in the blood,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16that's going to increase your risk of diabetes.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Right, so it's like a giant sponge in a way,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21sucking the sugar out of your system and reducing the amount that is
0:27:21 > 0:27:24circulating in a rather unhelpful way around the rest of you?
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Our volunteers are hard at it with their training programme.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36So, I've woken up this morning, my legs feel OK, my right arm feels OK,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40but my left arm, I can definitely feel that I've put it to work.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Well, guys, do you think I'm more muscly?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I'm finding that the day after, the lighter side,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51my lighter leg is really...
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Especially the leg is really killing me.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55After six weeks of commitment...
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Oh!
0:27:57 > 0:27:58..hard work...
0:27:59 > 0:28:01..and determination...
0:28:03 > 0:28:06..everyone has been retested to see how much stronger
0:28:06 > 0:28:09their arms and legs are at the end.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12So which has made more of a difference to their strength -
0:28:12 > 0:28:14the heavy or the lighter weights?
0:28:14 > 0:28:15Show of hands -
0:28:15 > 0:28:18who thinks the heavy weight will produce the biggest result?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21OK, that's two of you. Who thinks the light weight?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26OK, one of you, and who's going for both? OK, two of you.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29So, did it make any difference whether they were doing
0:28:29 > 0:28:31the heavy weights or the light weights?
0:28:31 > 0:28:32The short answer...is "no".
0:28:32 > 0:28:34THEY CHEER
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I knew it!
0:28:36 > 0:28:41OK, so, two of you voted for no difference - exactly.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42No gloating. Come on.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Regardless of weight, arms increased by 18%, 19%
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and the legs by about 25%, but the weight made no difference at all.
0:28:51 > 0:28:57An increase in strength of 25% in just six weeks is impressive.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59And the volunteers haven't ended up lopsided.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04They've got stronger by the same amount in both arms and both legs.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06But which did they prefer?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09The heavy or the light weights?
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Who will actually want to continue with the heavy weights?
0:29:13 > 0:29:14So, all of you.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17All of you preferred the heavy weights to the light weights?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Interesting. Because I would have thought, I must admit,
0:29:20 > 0:29:21light weights sound easier, but it wasn't?
0:29:21 > 0:29:23No, I don't think light weights are easier.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I think it burns more at the time, so, yeah,
0:29:26 > 0:29:28- I definitely don't think it's easier.- And it took longer?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30And it takes longer.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32This is a surprise result.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35We found that light weights are just as effective as heavy.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38But all of the volunteers preferred the heavy weights,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40because it didn't take as long.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44I've never, ever been tempted to do weights before.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48But I must admit, as a result of seeing what happened in this study,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51I am going to take it up. And, like our volunteers,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54I am tempted to use the kind of heavier weights,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57because it's over and done with really fast.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Although you can, of course, do the lighter things but, in that case,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04it's going to take you longer before you reach the point of exhaustion.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07But the great thing is, you only need to do this twice a week.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14To build muscle, you don't have to use weights.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16You can use your own body weight
0:30:16 > 0:30:19with exercises like squats and press ups.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Aim for twice a week, and keep going until you're tired.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31So far, we've seen how the latest science is pointing us
0:30:31 > 0:30:34towards quicker, more effective ways to improve
0:30:34 > 0:30:36our aerobic fitness and our strength.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Heavy weights came out on top as the fast favourite to build muscle.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46And whether it's brisk walks or short, sharp bursts of Hiit,
0:30:46 > 0:30:47intensity is best.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56The problem many of us face is how to make our good intentions last.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02We waste nearly £600 million a year on unused gym memberships.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05So what's the secret to sticking to our fitness plans?
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Like a lot of people, I have these moments when I think,
0:31:09 > 0:31:10"Ooh, I must get in shape,"
0:31:10 > 0:31:15and so I start doing loads of exercise, and then I injure myself
0:31:15 > 0:31:20or it gets cold and dark outside or perhaps I just get busy at work,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I give up, and then I find it incredibly difficult
0:31:23 > 0:31:25to get motivated again.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28So what is the secret behind discovering an exercise regime
0:31:28 > 0:31:32that you will stick to? Is it simply a matter of willpower
0:31:32 > 0:31:34or is it something else?
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Willpower is all about determination,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40making yourself do something that's not easy.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Studying it is exercise psychologist Dr Ian Taylor
0:31:45 > 0:31:48at the University of Loughborough.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50So, Ian, a lot of people sign up to places like this,
0:31:50 > 0:31:54they pay their money, they come for a few weeks, and then they give up.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- Now, why is that?- People are mostly motivated by willpower.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00And it's a not-very-good motivation at all.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02It's a very fragile type of motivation.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Hopefully, I'm going to demonstrate this to you in an experiment,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07exactly how fragile it is.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Ian has invited ten volunteers to the University.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18They've been told they are here to take part in a study
0:32:18 > 0:32:20about exercise techniques.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24But they don't know it's really a psychology experiment,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27or that it has anything to do with willpower.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Who here has ever joined a gym?
0:32:30 > 0:32:32- Me.- All of you? OK.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35I did try for about three weeks, but I only managed to get there twice.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I made about two months,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40and continued paying the membership for about another six months.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43We're going to look at what affects willpower,
0:32:43 > 0:32:49and how big a part it really plays in how much exercise you do.
0:32:49 > 0:32:55So, if we can have Sally, Sam, Brett, David and Alex on this side.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57After being split into two groups,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00each volunteer does a timed wall sit,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03using their thigh muscles to balance against a wall,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07which they'll repeat after their willpower has been tested.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Each group has their own experiment room -
0:33:12 > 0:33:17identical, except one will feature some freshly warmed,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19delicious smelling, tasty treats.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24A volunteer from each group had been brought into their room
0:33:24 > 0:33:26for stage one of the experiment.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31They can't see us but we can see them.
0:33:34 > 0:33:35What's going on in here?
0:33:35 > 0:33:37So we've got a participant at the minute,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40filling out some questionnaires, and they're completely bogus.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41They're nothing to do with the experiment.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44But what we've got on the table, as you can see, is some cookies.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Don't worry about the cookies -
0:33:46 > 0:33:48they're for something we're doing later.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50We've also wafted the smell of cookies.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Now, we've told the participants not to eat for a couple of hours
0:33:53 > 0:33:55before the experiment, so they'll probably be hungry.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58So the idea is that while they finish out those questionnaires,
0:33:58 > 0:34:02they'll be tempted by the cookie smell
0:34:02 > 0:34:03and they'll have to resist that temptation.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05They'll be using willpower at the moment.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08I mean, just standing here, I'm tempted. I can't smell them,
0:34:08 > 0:34:09I can see them, I like cookies, I'm hungry,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13- I want to go in there, grab one. I'm not going to.- Exactly, exactly!
0:34:13 > 0:34:15In the other room, their willpower won't be tested
0:34:15 > 0:34:18before they're asked to exercise.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21OK, same sort of room, no cookies.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Got a couple of questionnaires for you to fill out.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27This is the room where they're doing exactly the same thing.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30The only difference is, they can't smell cookies,
0:34:30 > 0:34:31they can't see cookies.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33So they're not being tempted,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36they're not having to use willpower to resist the cookies.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40After five minutes of form filling and some cookie smelling,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42the volunteers repeat the wall sit.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47So will having to use willpower to resist the cookies
0:34:47 > 0:34:50affect how long they can do the exercise?
0:34:51 > 0:34:52The hypothesis is that,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56because they have not used any willpower to resist cookies,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59they should be more willing to use willpower in the second task,
0:34:59 > 0:35:00the wall-sit task.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Legs gave out before I wanted to.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10After analysing the results, it's time to reveal to our volunteers
0:35:10 > 0:35:12what today has really been about.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17Now, you came here thinking this had something to do with exercise,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20efficiency, better ways of doing exercise.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Actually, it has absolutely nothing to do with that.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24THEY CHUCKLE
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Who here went into a room where there were some biscuits?
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Oh, are you beginning to get a hint here?
0:35:30 > 0:35:32That is part of what we were looking at.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35We were actually looking at willpower.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38For two people, there was very, very large effects,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41where you had big decreases from your first wall sit
0:35:41 > 0:35:44to your second one in the cookie group.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46So, within your group, who do you think it was?
0:35:46 > 0:35:47I think I was.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- You think as well? - It might have been me.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52OK. Was it out of those two?
0:35:52 > 0:35:53It was...Giuseppe...
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- ..and Ian... - THEY CHUCKLE
0:35:58 > 0:36:02..who were... Yeah, you absolutely replicated the effects well.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Huge decreases from your first to second wall sit.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10All the volunteers in the room without the cookie temptation
0:36:10 > 0:36:14lasted just as long in the wall sit as they did at the start of the day.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16But Ian and Giuseppe,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19after manfully resisting the delicious smelling cookies,
0:36:19 > 0:36:23managed 30 seconds less than they had previously.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27This experiment was based on a renowned psychology study in the US.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32We're trying to replicate an effect that's been shown in the research
0:36:32 > 0:36:37where, when you use willpower once, you will use less the second time.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40So you'll give up on the wall sit a lot quicker,
0:36:40 > 0:36:41because willpower reduces over time.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44So if you think about the cookies in your experiment,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46equate that to the sofa for exercise.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47The sofa is the cookie.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- Get rid of the sofa. - Get rid of the sofa!
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Or at least don't go into that room where the sofa is,
0:36:53 > 0:36:54or go straight to the gym after work.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58What are the temptations in your house and think,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00"OK, how can I avoid those temptations?
0:37:00 > 0:37:02"Can I remove those temptations?"
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Basically, make sure there's no wine in the house, then, as well.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08If you're relying on willpower for you to exercise,
0:37:08 > 0:37:09it will probably fail.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13If willpower isn't a good motivator, what is?
0:37:13 > 0:37:17What you need to do is to look at more immediate satisfactions.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21A podcast while you're walking or if you enjoy the company
0:37:21 > 0:37:24of the fitness instructor, what do you enjoy?
0:37:24 > 0:37:26If you fancy the fitness instructor...
0:37:26 > 0:37:27I didn't want to say that!
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Sometimes you have to get motivation
0:37:29 > 0:37:32for doing stuff with other people, don't you?
0:37:32 > 0:37:34I find I'm far more motivated to go
0:37:34 > 0:37:38if it's with somebody else. If it's by myself, there's no chance.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41If you really enjoy your daughter's company or your friend's company,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44then it's short-term satisfaction.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45They will keep you going.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48It's the enjoyment and the value of that exercise,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51rather than the guilt or other people telling you to do so.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54If you don't enjoy going to the gym, don't go to the gym.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Find something else that you DO enjoy.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01So the secret of willpower is not to need it in the first place.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Another reason some of us are reluctant to exercise
0:38:13 > 0:38:16is a fear of doing ourselves damage.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20And there's one activity that has a particularly bad reputation,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22especially for our joints.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24But new research
0:38:24 > 0:38:28could be about to turn this fear of running on its head.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Running is good for your heart and your lungs.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33But there are many people, including me,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35who worry that it's bad for the joints,
0:38:35 > 0:38:36particularly the knees.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Is this true? I'm about to find out.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42I've come to St Mary's University in London
0:38:42 > 0:38:44to meet Professor John Brewer,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48exercise scientist and running enthusiast.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52I'm pretty convinced that when I run, when I exercise,
0:38:52 > 0:38:53it leads to potential injuries to the knee.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Because it makes sense, you're pounding away on the concrete.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58- Yeah.- And that sends shocks through your knee,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01and that adds to wear and tear, osteoarthritis and things like that.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02That's an easy assumption to make,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05because of course there'll be forces going to the foot, the lower leg,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07and the knee when you're running.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09And it's thought that those forces
0:39:09 > 0:39:10will damage this all-important cartilage
0:39:10 > 0:39:12that rests between the bones of the knee.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17We're doing an experiment to measure the forces that go through our knees
0:39:17 > 0:39:20when we run, compared with walking.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22And I'm the guinea pig.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26John is using motion capture technology.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30This helps him to see exactly how my body moves.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34My first challenge is an easy one.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37So you're going to walk along the track here.
0:39:37 > 0:39:38We've got two force platforms.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41They will measure the force every time your foot hits the ground.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43So just walk naturally, look ahead,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46nice and steadily down towards the camera at the end there.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- Take your time, off you go. - OK.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52I'm glad there aren't any mirrors in here,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56as I don't think this is a good look.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58First, walking.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01By analysing my movement and the forces going through my joints,
0:40:01 > 0:40:06this will allow John to measure how much impact and potential damage is
0:40:06 > 0:40:08happening to my knees.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Now for something a little more energetic.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14OK, Michael, so this time we're not going to walk.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17We're going to ask you to run. In your own time, a nice...
0:40:17 > 0:40:19No, no, no. Definitely not, not Usain Bolt.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20- More Mo Farah.- OK.- OK.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Even Mo Farah is probably about three times as fast as I am.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Yeah, yeah.- By tracking my running movements,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29John can see how they compare with walking.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34So which causes the greatest impact on my knees,
0:40:34 > 0:40:35running or walking?
0:40:35 > 0:40:38John has analysed the results.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42We have two lines here. This first red graph shows the forces that your
0:40:42 > 0:40:44foot encountered when you were running,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46and the blue one is when you're walking.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48The forces from running were higher
0:40:48 > 0:40:50than the forces from when you were walking,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52when you were going much more slowly.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54So that one is nearly twice as big as that one?
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Yes, it is. So that would in a sense play into the hands
0:40:57 > 0:41:00of the theory that running causes a lot of extra force and more damage.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01Yeah.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06As you might expect, at the moment I hit the ground, the forces going
0:41:06 > 0:41:10through my knee are greater when I run than when I walk.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13But John has also compared how much time my knees
0:41:13 > 0:41:15experience that impact.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18What's really interesting is that when you look at this a little
0:41:18 > 0:41:21bit more closely, you can see that the length of time that your foot
0:41:21 > 0:41:23was experiencing force for
0:41:23 > 0:41:25was much longer than when you were walking.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29We can actually see that the force per metre, from running,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31was significantly lower,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34almost half the force from walking.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37OK, I find that very surprising, I must admit.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Mmm, it is, it's a big surprise,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41but it's a function of the speed that you're going at,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44your stride length, and the shorter period of time
0:41:44 > 0:41:46that your foot is in contact with the ground.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49When I ran, my foot touched the ground for less time
0:41:49 > 0:41:52and I made fewer steps in total.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55This means that, overall, the force through my body
0:41:55 > 0:41:59was actually lower for running than it was for walking.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03It's still the case that when I was running, there was more sharp impact
0:42:03 > 0:42:05and, you know, if I punch you hard
0:42:05 > 0:42:08or I punch you more gently but slower,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12you're still going to feel the hard punch much more than the gentle one
0:42:12 > 0:42:13which goes on for a while.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14If we look at the peak force,
0:42:14 > 0:42:16that's actually quite acceptable a force
0:42:16 > 0:42:18because it's the sort of force
0:42:18 > 0:42:21that the human body is designed to experience.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23We are all designed to both walk and to run.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24We had to run, you know,
0:42:24 > 0:42:28our ancestors had to run in order to catch food or to avoid being prey.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30So running is a natural part of our lives.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33So the type of force that we see is not excessive.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37When it comes to our knees,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39John doesn't simply believe running is harmless.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42He believes it might actually be beneficial.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Scientific studies suggest that the regular impact from running
0:42:46 > 0:42:49repeatedly compresses and releases the cartilage.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53Surprisingly, that's actually good for the joint.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57One of the benefits is that the regular impact from running,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00actually, are compressing and then relaxing the cartilage.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01That's stimulating blood flow,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04it's bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the cartilage,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07and of course that will help it to both repair,
0:43:07 > 0:43:09and to grow and to develop.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10- So not an excuse? - Not an excuse at all.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Get your training shoes on and get out for a run.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20New research shows that runners are in fact less likely to suffer
0:43:20 > 0:43:22from arthritis than non-runners.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26So it would seem that in the long term,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28running can be good for our joints.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32But I know all too well there are plenty of other ways
0:43:32 > 0:43:36that you can injure yourself while running.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I managed to injure my knee while running.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41I was going through a wood, I sort of slid on something, twisted it,
0:43:41 > 0:43:44- and it hasn't been the same since. - Injuries are an occupational hazard,
0:43:44 > 0:43:47they will always happen to anybody in sport,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49particularly at higher risk in running,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51when you're on an uneven or slippery surface.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54But I think what we've seen today is that the scientific evidence
0:43:54 > 0:43:56shows that, actually, running can be good for you,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59particularly if you start off slowly and build up gradually.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01A mistake that many people make is to do too much, too soon.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06The most common cause of injury is trying to run too far or too fast
0:44:06 > 0:44:09before your body has had a chance to get used to it.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11So start with brisk walking,
0:44:11 > 0:44:13and build up distance and pace gradually.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17If you are very overweight or have an injury,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20then you might be better off doing something like cycling or swimming.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22But for most of us, a small amount of running
0:44:22 > 0:44:25can be good for our health and our knees.
0:44:27 > 0:44:29So the claim that running, at least in moderation,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33leads to wearing out of the joints and possibly to arthritis,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35turns out to be false.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Another excuse for not doing exercise bites the dust.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Most people exercise to improve their health, lose a bit of weight,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47and tone their bodies.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49But some people, and they can be very annoying,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52do exercise just because they love it.
0:44:52 > 0:44:58New science is beginning to explain why exercise can be so pleasurable.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Many runners claim that when they go for a run,
0:45:00 > 0:45:02they get this runner's high,
0:45:02 > 0:45:05the release in the brain of feel-good chemicals,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08a bit like illegal drugs,
0:45:08 > 0:45:09which just makes them feel terrific.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12Now, I have never experienced anything like that,
0:45:12 > 0:45:14so can it possibly be true?
0:45:15 > 0:45:18For a long time, it's been claimed that the runner's high
0:45:18 > 0:45:20is the result of endorphins,
0:45:20 > 0:45:24something our bod produces during exercise.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26But now, physiologist Dr Saoirse O'Sullivan
0:45:26 > 0:45:30believes a different brain signal may be responsible,
0:45:30 > 0:45:33one that is very similar to an illegal drug.
0:45:33 > 0:45:38So I'm interested in a class of chemicals called endocannabinoids.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41And these are presumably like cannabis?
0:45:41 > 0:45:45So they're...they're similar in structure to the main chemical
0:45:45 > 0:45:48that you find in cannabis, but we make them in our own body.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50We're interested in whether or not these chemicals
0:45:50 > 0:45:53might be part of the high.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55To find out, we're doing a brand-new experiment
0:45:55 > 0:45:58with the help of some runners in Nottingham.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02Saoirse is going to see if the level of endocannabinoids in their blood
0:46:02 > 0:46:05increases after they've been for a run.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07- Has this been done before?- It hasn't been done
0:46:07 > 0:46:10in an outdoor setting before, so there's been a couple of studies
0:46:10 > 0:46:13that have been done, but they were in a laboratory setting,
0:46:13 > 0:46:14and they've actually got them to exercise
0:46:14 > 0:46:16for quite a long period of time.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20We want to find out if you can get an increase in endocannabinoids from
0:46:20 > 0:46:25the sort of easy short run that you or I might do in the local park.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27I think it's probably time for you lot to go off.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31- I'll see you back here in about half an hour.- OK.- OK.- Enjoy.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34- Good luck.- You look as though you're quite jealous.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37I am, really jealous. I'd like to be doing that now.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Whereas I absolutely wouldn't.
0:46:39 > 0:46:44The idea that cannabinoids might increase during exercise is new.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48These natural brain chemicals were discovered by accident
0:46:48 > 0:46:52when scientists were researching why the drug cannabis makes us high.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56They first discovered that there is a specific receptor in the bodies,
0:46:56 > 0:47:00so a protein found on the outside of cells, to which the chemicals from
0:47:00 > 0:47:04cannabis combined and that's what brings about their actions.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07And once they knew that we have this in our brain,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10people started looking for, what do we make in our body
0:47:10 > 0:47:12that binds to this?
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Because we don't have proteins and receptors that bind to cannabis
0:47:15 > 0:47:18for no reason. We must make some chemical in our body that also binds
0:47:18 > 0:47:21to them that might have similar effects.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22And it was just a couple of years later
0:47:22 > 0:47:25that they discovered the first compound
0:47:25 > 0:47:27that they called anendocannabinoids.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31The image on the right is a cannabinoid from cannabis,
0:47:31 > 0:47:35on the left is an endocannabinoid we produce in our body.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36They're almost identical.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39They're structurally very similar.
0:47:39 > 0:47:40They're very similar compounds,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43have very similar pharmacological properties.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47Both chemicals put out positive emotions and increase appetite -
0:47:47 > 0:47:50sensations that people report after they've been for a run.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55OK, whoa, slow down. Well done, how are you feeling?
0:47:55 > 0:47:57Really good. Really exhilarated, actually.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00I feel tingly, warm, light on my feet.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Good, alive, pumping.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08But is their euphoria due to a rise in endocannabinoids?
0:48:08 > 0:48:10We are about to find out.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13Their blood samples are analysed.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16And the results are in.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19And what we found was, when you came back from the run,
0:48:19 > 0:48:23you had 30% more endocannabinoids in your blood than you did.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27So exercise seems to stimulate across all of you
0:48:27 > 0:48:30a big increase of endocannabinoids in your blood.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32- Surprising?- That's very surprising.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34That is surprising, isn't it? That proves what I thought,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36- to be honest with you.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40More of a runner's bliss than a runner's high, maybe.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44So even a relatively short run can bring chemical bliss.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48But why do people produce endocannabinoids when they exercise?
0:48:48 > 0:48:53Saoirse believes it may be our body's way of encouraging us
0:48:53 > 0:48:55- to keep fit.- Now we know exercise is good for us,
0:48:55 > 0:48:58we know that we're fitter and healthier.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01We're mentally and physically healthier, we're more fertile,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04and there's lots of reasons why exercise is good for us.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08So the body having a reward mechanism for exercise would seem
0:49:08 > 0:49:11like a good evolutionary thing that, you know,
0:49:11 > 0:49:13just makes us want do it more,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15and that makes us fitter and stronger and happier.
0:49:15 > 0:49:20So how is getting, you know, a bliss from doing exercise different to,
0:49:20 > 0:49:22for example, from smoking cannabis?
0:49:22 > 0:49:24So I think probably the big difference
0:49:24 > 0:49:26is the amount of these chemicals.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28So you've got a 30% increase.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32It caused a mood-altering effect in you, it made you feel better.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35But if you were to smoke a cannabis cigarette or joint,
0:49:35 > 0:49:39you would have a much, much bigger increase and that can have a lot of
0:49:39 > 0:49:42negative impacts on some people as well.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Taking in too many cannabinoids can overwhelm our system.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49But when our bodies produce cannabinoids,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52it keeps them within safe limits.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55So we experience a high without the downsides.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00Now, I have always been rather cynical about the idea
0:50:00 > 0:50:03of a runner's high, having never personally experienced it.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06But this new research really does suggest there may be
0:50:06 > 0:50:10naturally occurring chemicals that can help explain
0:50:10 > 0:50:12why some people really love exercise.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21So far, we've been looking at the science of how good
0:50:21 > 0:50:24exercise is for our bodies, but some of the most exciting new research
0:50:24 > 0:50:29is looking at the impact it can have on our brains.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33In this final test,
0:50:33 > 0:50:35I want to look at an exercise that may be able to make us
0:50:35 > 0:50:37instantly cleverer.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42Now, there is plenty of evidence that exercise is good for the brain
0:50:42 > 0:50:45but there is one particular activity
0:50:45 > 0:50:47which seems to be unusually beneficial,
0:50:47 > 0:50:49and we're about to test it out.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51SALSA MUSIC
0:50:51 > 0:50:55I've come to Coventry University to meet a team of scientists
0:50:55 > 0:51:01who want to test whether our brains get an immediate boost from dancing.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Cognitive scientist Professor Michael Duncan is running
0:51:06 > 0:51:08the experiment.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15OK, I must admit it is a great deal more fun seeing them doing this
0:51:15 > 0:51:18than being on a treadmill, or something like that, but why dance?
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Dance is physically active but it's also very co-ordinative.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24It has a cognitive element in order to accomplish that.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27You have to use your brain, basically, to remember the steps,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30- and things like that.- Yeah.- So what you're going to be measuring
0:51:30 > 0:51:33is the effect, if you like, of doing a dance class on your brain.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35If we give somebody one session,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38does that produce an immediate response?
0:51:38 > 0:51:40They're obviously enjoying themselves.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42The question is, is it actually making them in any sense smarter?
0:51:42 > 0:51:43Yes.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46SALSA MUSIC
0:51:50 > 0:51:54Helping Mike with the experiment is salsa instructor
0:51:54 > 0:51:58and exercise scientist Dr Pablo Domene.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01He's invited his entire dance class to the lab.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03What keeps you coming back?
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Like, the power, the atmosphere, enjoyment that you come
0:52:07 > 0:52:08and you don't want to finish.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10Do you feel smarter afterwards?
0:52:10 > 0:52:12I'm not sure about smarter.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16You have a much better spatial awareness and much better reflexes.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19These dancers will do some mental tests before and after
0:52:19 > 0:52:23a dance session to see if there's any change in performance.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28So, we've got one which looks at decision-making
0:52:28 > 0:52:30and ability to avoid distractions.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34We've got another one that looks at working memory
0:52:34 > 0:52:36and can you recognise patterns, and we have another one
0:52:36 > 0:52:39that looks at, can you anticipate moving objects?
0:52:39 > 0:52:41So it's basically being able to anticipate something
0:52:41 > 0:52:43in space and time, if you like?
0:52:43 > 0:52:47It has wide application in a whole range of different parts of life.
0:52:47 > 0:52:53The test assesses skills we use every day - decision-making, memory,
0:52:53 > 0:52:58and our ability to judge how fast things are moving through space.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Now the volunteers have had their brains assessed,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03it's time to test their feet.
0:53:08 > 0:53:13As the class progresses, the music gets faster, and so do the moves.
0:53:13 > 0:53:14Con brazos!
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Everyone is building up a sweat.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Salsa basica.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23After 30 minutes of high-paced salsa...
0:53:23 > 0:53:27..it's time for everyone to repeat the mental test.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29So, did the dance class make any difference?
0:53:31 > 0:53:33Mike has the results.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36The anticipation timing task,
0:53:36 > 0:53:40which looks at the perception and cognition together,
0:53:40 > 0:53:44we found an 8% improvement pre to post for the whole group.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46- Pretty good?- Yeah, pretty good.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48For the visual discrimination test,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52where we're looking at can you focus and avoid being distracted,
0:53:52 > 0:53:57- we saw a 13% improvement which, again...- I could do with that.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59I find I get distracted by all sorts of things when I'm at work.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03- So, yeah.- The test that's probably more surprising to me
0:54:03 > 0:54:06and the biggest change is the one that looked at working memory,
0:54:06 > 0:54:10where we found an 18% improvement in that particular test.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Working memory is our ability
0:54:13 > 0:54:17to hold different bits of information in our heads
0:54:17 > 0:54:19and use it to get the job done,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22anything from following a recipe to holding a conversation.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28And Mike has never seen a result like this for any other type
0:54:28 > 0:54:32of activity, including running and cycling.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35It's so amazing to see the results because I just think
0:54:35 > 0:54:36I just shake, shake, shake.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39But actually, to know, wow, I'm getting smarter!
0:54:39 > 0:54:42I think cognition, the ability to repeat something, I think
0:54:42 > 0:54:44it is a great asset at work.
0:54:46 > 0:54:47So, what's special about dancing?
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Most types of exercise will have a positive effect
0:54:52 > 0:54:54on cognitive performance.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58With something like salsa dance, you have to think about these steps,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00you have to think about the pattern, you have to think about
0:55:00 > 0:55:02staying in time with the music,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06so that actually requires a lot of cognitive manipulation
0:55:06 > 0:55:09while the dance is going on,
0:55:09 > 0:55:12while you are also physically exerting yourself.
0:55:14 > 0:55:15One reason people say they don't do exercise
0:55:15 > 0:55:17is because they ain't got time,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20but presumably this would suggest that if you put...
0:55:20 > 0:55:24find a bit of time to do a bit of dancing, then you might become
0:55:24 > 0:55:27a bit more productive and therefore you might get more out of your day.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31You become more effective in your use of existing time.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34So, dance, it's like that.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Snap. Snap, snap. OK.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41One, two. One, two.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47Exercise really can make us quicker. And perhaps cleverer.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49And current research suggests
0:55:49 > 0:55:52that dancing could be the best exercise of all
0:55:52 > 0:55:54to get maximum brain benefits.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00Focus! Five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three. And shimmy!
0:56:04 > 0:56:06No, that's really good, that's really good.
0:56:09 > 0:56:10Whoo!
0:56:12 > 0:56:14I've come to the end of my search
0:56:14 > 0:56:18into the most effective ways to get fit.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20I've been really impressed at the scientific breakthroughs
0:56:20 > 0:56:25that are helping us to understand exactly how exercise gives us
0:56:25 > 0:56:28all these wonderful benefits, and this new knowledge means
0:56:28 > 0:56:32we can be more targeted when choosing the right activity for us.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41So, what have I learnt about getting fit?
0:56:41 > 0:56:45If lack of time is your problem, then the intensity is the way to go.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Brisk walks, some Hiit and also some weight training.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51I'm never going to love doing exercise,
0:56:51 > 0:56:53but at least I now know how to do it properly
0:56:53 > 0:56:57and how to get the maximum benefit for the minimum effort.