If you walk into almost any gym or health club, anywhere in the world you will probably be asked the question. "How much time will you spend on your workout when you come training?" The answer that usually comes back is "Oh, I suppose probably about an hour." Both the fitness instructor and the gym member are then happy, the instructor got the answer they wanted and the member feels they got the question right.

Now there is no beating around the bush, the No. 1 excuse for not exercising is lack of time. So why do so many people think that you have to exercise for an hour for it to count.

This is a problem. Obesity levels are at an all time high. People are more inactive than ever before. I'm not saying diet doesn't play a large role in this problem, and is a massive subject, for now though lets just look at exercise and activity levels.

So how much exercise are we supposed to do?

Well the government recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five times a week.

What's the answer?

Let's look at the objectives of exercise and physical activity.

• Improve function of heart and circulatory system

• Improve function of the respiratory system

• Utilise skeletal muscle to improve strength, endurance and posture

• Burn energy, calories and the big one maintain weight

This is not a comprehensive list but incorporates the most important aims of a fitness plan in relation to improving health.

There is a new trend.

Many fitness professionals around the world are switching on to. Trainers are finding that short, high intensity workouts are delivering results. People are getting fitter; they are shedding pounds of body fat and improving their health and wellbeing. These high intensity workouts may just be 20-30 minutes in length.

There are various reasons for the effectiveness of this type of workout. The fat burning effect of this type of workout surprises most people. The main reason for the calorie burning effect is due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

This basically refers to the amount of time that the body uses oxygen to replace the energy that was used during the workout. The effects can last up to 36 hours after the training session. This means the body is burning more calories than usual for a long time after the workout.

Obvious proof that a short workout can be effective for dealing with unwanted pounds of body weight, and you don't need to spend hours in the gym.