Short & Sharp Fitness for Better Results

Did you know you don’t need to spend hours exercising to make a real difference to your health and fitness?

A study from Boston University School of Medicine found that short bursts of intense exercise can be more effective than simply aiming for 10,000 steps a day. ExerciseNZ CEO Richard Beddie summed this up: “Working out with more intensity drastically improves a person’s fitness compared to milder forms of exercise.”

So what does “more intensity” actually mean?

Richard explains it as activity where you can’t comfortably hold a conversation. Your heart rate lifts, you get a bit breathless, and maybe even a little sweaty. It might sound a bit daunting, but honestly, it doesn’t have to be.

Try 30/90 intervals on your next walk

Walking is the easiest place to start. Instead of a steady stroll, try adding intervals:

• Warm up for 3–5 minutes, starting slowly and gently increasing your pace.
  
  
• Walk as briskly as you can for 30 seconds.
  
  
• Then ease back to a comfortable recovery pace for 90 seconds—keep moving, just catch your breath.
  
  
• Repeat the 30-second fast / 90-second recovery cycle 2–4 times, and build up to 8 rounds if you can.
  
  
• Finish with a 3–5 minute warm down.
  
  

And that’s it—less than 20 minutes in total!

You can use the same idea with cycling, swimming, rowing machines, or a gym cross-trainer (elliptical). Intervals work almost anywhere.

Add a bit of “explosive power”

Intervals aren’t the only way to boost intensity. In our SuperCue Seniors exercise programmes, we build it into the movements themselves by:

• Extending our limbs more fully or pulling in more tightly to give each movement a clear end point
  
  
• Stretching strongly through hands and fingers, or squeezing firmly into our fists
  
  
• Moving more sharply into and out of squats, lunges, or knee lifts
  
  
• Breathing in and out with more intention
  
  
• Adding vocal cues like IN/OUT or UP/DOWN—loud and proud!
  
  

Even a few minutes of this lifts your heart rate, increases your breathing, and fills your whole body with oxygen and energy. It really is like “clearing out your pipes.” Just 20–30 seconds of pushing yourself helps you maintain (and even improve) your performance rather than slowly letting it slip.

You might be surprised how these short bursts of intensity can boost your cardio fitness, muscle tone, confidence, and overall mental wellbeing.

So maybe it’s time to rethink your routine. How could you bring in a little more intensity? Remember: it’s all about quality over quantity. Do less, but do it well—and get better results!

To explore SuperCue Seniors programmes (online, USB, and DVD options for at-home exercisers and organisations), head to https://www.supercue.nz/