The latest exercise trend: "Get Fit in 60 Seconds" researchers publish user-friendly how-to guide

The book, entitled "The High Intensity Workout", shows how doing just one minute of high intensity exercise, three times a week, can improve fitness by 10 per cent, as well as reduce the risk of getting major diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Written by Dr John Babraj and Dr Ross Lorimer from the University of Abertay Dundee, "The High Intensity Workout" breaks down the science behind the training regime into understandable chunks – why it works, what it does to your body – and includes an easy-to-follow plan for beginners with full colour photos so readers can make sure they are doing the correct exercises.

Benefits include:

• Fitness levels improved by 10%
• A 25% improvement in the ability of insulin to clear glucose from the bloodstream in inactive people
• The heart's ability to pump blood improved by 14% in two weeks, compared to 5% with moderate exercise.

As scientists involved in the research behind the recent BBC Horizon programme "The Truth about Exercise", the claims of The High Intensity Workout have been thoroughly researched and scientifically proven.

Dr Babraj is an exercise physiologist at Abertay University and has been researching high intensity training since 2007. He published the first major paper demonstrating that this type of training improves insulin sensitivity (the ability of insulin to clear glucose from the bloodstream) and aerobic fitness in sedentary people with just 15 minutes of training over 2 weeks.

Dr Lorimer is a researcher in the psychology of sport and exercise at Abertay and is a Chartered Psychologist and Chartered Scientist. He has been involved in several high-intensity exercise studies and has a keen interest in the psychological factors associated with being able to train at a high intensity, such as personal motivation, as well as in the potential positive mental benefits of the regime.

They both use high-intensity exercise as part of their own training routines for long-distance running and sports climbing.

Author Dr John Babraj says:

"People are time-poor but still want to improve their health, so we've been testing High Intensity Workouts for more than six years.

"Being overweight and unfit increases your risk of ill health by more than 200% compared to somebody who is lean and fit. However, if you are overweight and are fit then your risk of ill health is only 10% more than somebody who is lean and fit. Instead of 'you are what you eat' it should be 'you are what you do'.

"We've produced this book so anybody can put our research into practice. It's simple and effective without taking up time.

"Anyone will be able to follow this regime for two weeks and feel the health benefits as well as getting fitter, faster."

From world-class athletes to those beginning a new exercise regime, The High Intensity Workout is ideal for anyone with an interest in improving their fitness.

The book, priced £8.99, is available from Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith and all good bookshops.

Provided by University of Abertay Dundee