A study published in the March edition of the Journal of Physiology found that short periods of high-interval training was just as effective as long durations of endurance training, based on the results from seven young, healthy men.

The study suggested that quick, high-interval training “may represent an alternative to endurance training to improve metabolic health and reduce the risk for chronic diseases.”

But, interval training isn’t easy. It cuts down on time, but many people find the intense bursts of vigorous exercise difficult.

“It’s uncomfortable exercise. It’s high intensity, so it hurts,” said Martin Gibala, lead author of the study.

While interval training might be attractive for athletes or time-crunched, twentysomethings who already work out, it may be daunting for others.

“It’s tough to get people [in their 50s] to do moderate exercises,” Ball said. “For intense exercises, it hurts. People don’t like to do it.”

Now I guess I can’t curse my old hockey coaches for pre-season conditioning clinics where they’d put a trash can on the ice and make us sprint til we puked. The weapon of choice was usually the 60-second drill.

But I also suppose there really is no excuse now for the time-crunched to say they are too busy to exercise regularly and/or effectively. It’s going to hurt, yes, but as the old (now proven) adage goes: No Pain, No Gain.