3484: 7-Minute Workout - An Analysis of Seven Minute Workouts to Replace Long Cardio & Gym Sessions

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[00:00:58] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, welcome back to another Friday show where I answer your questions. On all the other days, I read health and fitness blogs to you like an audio book with permission from the authors. Now, I'll let you know how you can send in your own question at the end of the show and get rewarded for it. But for now, let's hear today's question and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:27] Today's question came via email. Yane from Finland writes, Hi, Dr. Neal. There are these 7-minute workouts that promise to do everything you need and replace long cardio and gym sessions. Please share your honest opinion or analysis on the matter. Thanks a lot for the things you do. Thank you for taking the time to send in your question, Yane from Finland. And thank you for your kind words. I'm so glad you find this show helpful.

[00:01:52] Now, these 7-minute workouts are very popular. Some of the many 7-minute workout apps have over 10 million downloads. But are they actually helpful and can they replace other forms of exercise like longer cardiovascular exercise sessions? First, let's think about some of the reasons why people may not exercise regularly. I promise I'm going somewhere with this.

[00:02:16] A published meta-analysis reported some of the most common reasons people may not exercise regularly. See if any of these reasons surprise you. Ready? Here are the most common reasons people may not exercise regularly. Drum roll please. Lack of motivation, lack of time, and lack of facilities. Now, which one of these do you think is the most common reason globally? Lack of time.

[00:02:43] Now, this 7-minute workout was first proposed by the American College of Sports Medicine as a way to encourage those with less time to dedicate to a longer workout to still incorporate regular exercise into their daily routines. So, in this scenario, this is actually a pretty good idea. Why not get in a full-body workout with less time and get in some of that exercise that we so recommend?

[00:03:10] Now, before we get into whether 7-minute workouts might be helpful, I need to describe what they are and then put that within the context of the physical activity guidelines. So, what's the 7-minute workout? The 7-minute workout is basically a high-intensity interval training session. Remember, high-intensity interval training involves brief stretches of all-out exercise with short recovery periods.

[00:03:34] Now, it's hard for many of us to maintain all-out intense activity for a long period of time without having to rest. So, when we're doing high-intensity activity like this, we say we're performing intervals. Now, an example of this would be, let's say, one minute of running at a fast pace to the point where we're breathing so heavily it would be difficult to talk, followed by one minute of rest. The word interval here just means time period.

[00:04:02] So, high-intensity interval training is just saying that we're performing high-intensity exercises for set periods of time with some built-in rest periods too. And since we're pushing our bodies to perform at this high intensity, we don't need to spend as much time on these types of activities. So, these 7-minute workouts use this same idea. Instead of rowing, running, or cycling though,

[00:04:26] the workout incorporates bodyweight exercises like jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, crunches, step-ups, and so on. No gym equipment needed. There's a total of 12 exercises with the 7-minute workout. The goal is perform each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. Now, back to your question, Yana. Can these 7-minute workouts replace longer cardio sessions

[00:04:54] or even longer strength training sessions? No. Moderate intensity, steady-state aerobic exercise, improves the health of nearly every cell in the body, our muscles, our gut cells, even our brain cells. So, more moderate intensity activity is important. In fact, it's usually not recommended that we incorporate only high-intensity interval training into our routines. Instead, it's best to incorporate variety where we include some moderate intensity activities

[00:05:23] and high-intensity interval training. Incorporating all forms of exercise seems to be the most beneficial. Too much high-intensity activity can lead to burnout or injuries. Not incorporating any higher-intensity activities may slow down our progress or prevent us from reaching our full potential. So, what are the specific exercise guidelines then? What should we be doing? So, let's start with the recommendations that most health organizations agree on. The World Health Organization

[00:05:53] and Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans agree that healthy adults should perform 150 minutes each week of moderate-intensity continuous exercise. So, if we were to translate that, it would mean aiming for about 30 minutes of walking at a pace that makes us have to breathe a little heavier at least 5 days each week. But we don't need to push it to that intensity where it's difficult to talk. That would be high-intensity.

[00:06:22] This type of exercise, where we maintain a moderate pace for more than 10 minutes at a time, is often called steady-state exercise or aerobic exercise. Note, again, how this is different from the high-intensity 7-minute workouts I just described. These same exercise guidelines also state that if we can't get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise all in one session, we can break up the session into shorter ones. So, we could walk for 10 minutes during our morning break at work,

[00:06:51] then go on another 10-minute walk during lunch, and another 10-minute walk when we get home. Notice how this would still meet the 30 minutes per day recommendation. Now, these physical activity guidelines also mention we could increase the intensity of our exercise and shorten our workout time. So, if we were to perform high-intensity exercises like the 7-minute workout, we could commit to just 75 minutes of activity per week. So, we could aim for 15 minutes

[00:07:20] of high-intensity exercise, five days each week, and we would meet this recommendation. Now, because the 7-minute workout is only 7 minutes long, we would need to incorporate other forms of exercise to meet the physical activity guidelines. So, it's perfectly fine to mix and match these recommendations. We could perform the 7-minute workout and incorporate some moderate-intensity activity later on. Lastly, these same guidelines also include muscle strength training.

[00:07:49] It's recommended that we get at least two days of muscle strength training each week. Now, these muscle strength training recommendations aren't quite as specific, meaning there's no mention of time or number of sets or repetitions we have to perform. Instead, the recommendations are to just hit all the major muscle groups each time. And here, the 7-minute workout incorporates this recommendation perfectly. I'll sum things up by saying all movements are valuable.

[00:08:18] Sitting less and moving more consistently is key. The 7-minute workout does have value. Not only does it help those with less time commit to a form of daily exercise, but studies have also found that people that use apps like these are more likely to actually meet the physical activity guidelines. Plus, there's the added advantage of not needing any exercise equipment and being able to perform the 7-minute workout at home. Based on studies so far, though, we shouldn't expect a 7-minute workout

[00:08:48] to lead to large improvements in our overall fitness levels. But again, something is better than nothing. And if we can get more activity than what's recommended by the physical activity guidelines, you know, that 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous intensity activity or a combination, we'll probably experience even more health benefits. So, the 7-minute workout has a place in our overall exercise routines, but it shouldn't be

[00:09:17] the only routine we do. As always, talk to your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. If you want more personalized exercise advice, you can find a certified personal trainer to help guide you. For those in the States, you can go to acsm.org to find a certified personal trainer in your area. Right now, get up to 15% off select storage solutions. Put heavy-duty HDX totes to good use,

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[00:10:17] that work with your life. That's where OLLI comes in. Start your mornings off right with Maltese made to support nutrition and immune health. Choose from our lineup of gut-supporting probiotics, and we've got occasional sleep support to help the whole fam chase their big dreams. Head back to class with the number one gummy supplement brand. Stock up on oli.com today. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Thank you again for taking the time to send in your question, Yanni. And if you want to send your questions in, you can email them

[00:10:47] to health at oldpodcast.com. That's health at oldpodcast.com. Or, if you want your voice played on the show, come by oldpodcast.com slash ask. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 1-61-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. And if you send in a relevant question

[00:11:16] and you're in the U.S., we'll physically mail you a copy of our hardcover Optimal Living Daily workbook for free, as long as we have some left. If you're outside of the U.S., we'll send you a digital version. Thank you again for sending in your questions. Answering them is one of my favorite parts of this show. But that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you again for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you have a great start to your weekend. And of course, I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.