Just 11 Minute Of Bodyweight Exercises Can Help Improve Health, Study Finds

For this research, the team wanted to look at how bodyweight-style interval training can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, which they note is a good measure of health and disease risk. It's also an indicator of longevity.

Participants for this study completed six weeks of training, three times a week, using only the fitness plan called "5BX," also known as the Five Basic Exercises. The plan was created in the 1950s for the Canadian Air Force, it doesn't require any equipment, and it can be tailored to suit anyone's fitness level.

The 11-minute sequence involved 60 seconds of each exercise in this sequence: burpees, high knees, split squat jumps, high knees, and squat jumps. Participants were instructed to move through each exercise at a "challenging" pace. They were also allowed to take short, active recovery breaks (walking) in between, meaning the 11-minute routine technically qualified as high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Simple bodyweight exercises offer everyone an effective and accessible way to stay fit—particularly at a time when getting to the gym isn't accessible. "Closures and physical-distancing provisions have limited access to facilities and equipment," lead study author and professor Martin Gibala, Ph.D., says in a news release.

"Our findings have relevance for individuals seeking practical, time-efficient approaches to at least maintain their fitness," he adds.