What Good Is a 5-Minute Workout, Really?

A few lucky people find a fitness routine they love and stick to it. But many of us simply want to get our workout over with as quickly as possible. For those in the latter camp, it’s hard to resist headlines claiming we can get in shape in five minutes or less per day.

Such a thing seems too good to be true, but an emerging body of research suggests these micro-workouts — a few 20-second rounds of stair-climbing, four-second sprints on an exercise bike, or two minutes of dashing to catch the bus — can improve fitness, prevent disease and extend one’s life.

These activities are easier to slip into your schedule than the recommended 150 minutes of moderate weekly exercise (or 75, if you make it vigorous, by running, for instance). However, some scientists say such micro-workouts, also called exercise snacks, are oversold. And even those who tout their benefits say claims that they are as good as, or better than, more traditional workouts go too far.

What’s the evidence for the micro-workout?

The concept builds on more than two decades of research into HIIT, or high-intensity interval training. HIIT involves a series of nearly all-out efforts, usually 20 to 60 seconds long, interspersed with short rests, and then repeated again and again. Some studies suggest that HIIT workouts deliver many of the same benefits as steady, moderate-intensity exercise — including improved aerobic fitness and blood vessel function — in less time.

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