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I'm medical journalist
Dr Michael Mosley.

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It's that time of year when,
like most of us,

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I'm already struggling with my
New Year's resolution

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to become much more active.

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Ooh! Now, I know I should do more
regular exercise

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but the honest truth is,
I have neither the time

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nor the inclination.

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What I want is the absolute maximum
gain for the minimum pain.

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The good news is that new science is
giving us the best ways to keep fit,

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without taking up too much time.

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More research is going into exercise
than ever before and I'm delighted,

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because what the latest science is
showing us

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is the most effective ways to get
fit and healthy

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with the minimum sweat.

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So I'm teaming up
with the scientists...

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Off you go.

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..who are turning what we know
about fitness on its head.

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That's excellent.

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Together, we'll show you a far more
effective way to walk yourself fit

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than 10,000 steps...

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Going to follow me? Yes!
Here we go. Right.

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A little bit faster.

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..how two minutes of intense
exercise a week

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may be all you need...

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That's quite an easy way to
get back into fitness.

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..the latest research that will help
you

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actually stick to your fitness
plans...

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If you're relying on
willpower for you to exercise,

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it will probably fail.

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..and the activity that can make you
instantly cleverer.

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It's so amazing to see the results,
because I just think,

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"I can shake, shake, shake,
but actually to know, wow, I'm
getting smarter..."

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Whether you want to get fit, look
good, lose weight,

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gain strength or be healthier,

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we're going to use the latest
research to find

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the most effective ways for you.

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This is The Truth About Getting Fit.

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We don't all love the gym.

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In fact, 20 million Brits are
classed as physically inactive.

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But, if you are unfit,
scientific studies show

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you'll make the biggest health gains
from doing even a little exercise.

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So, what shape are you in right now?

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How can you tell how fit you are
at the moment?

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Well, I'm going to show you a couple
of simple tests you can do at home,

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without having to use any
fancy equipment.

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Very good! Faster!

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These are tests you can do right now
in your house

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and they will give you a quick,
but reasonably accurate,

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measure of your current fitness.

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Helping me is Professor Lorna Paul,

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a health scientist at
Glasgow Caledonian University.

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I like the idea that if you can't be
bothered to go to the gym,

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you bring the gym to your house.

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Yeah. And, indeed, that's what we've
done. What we are going to do today

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is two tests that everybody can do
in their own homes.

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The first test is how long it takes
you to stand up and sit down

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from a chair ten times.

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All you need is a hard chair and
a way of timing yourself.

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This test assesses one of the key
aspects of fitness, our strength.

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It's an important test,

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because it's testing our big muscles
in the lower limbs,

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so our quadriceps at the front, and
our gluteals at the back.

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These big muscles. Biggest muscles
in your body!

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These muscles start to weaken if we
don't use them,

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so it's the use it or lose it.

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It's the time it takes that gives
you your score.

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That's 15. Well done. 17. Well done.

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The faster, the better.

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How are we doing? Eight seconds.

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OK! Good!

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This test is used around the world

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as a measure of how fit you are
for your age.

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Men under 35 should be able to do

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ten chair stands

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in ten seconds or less.

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For women, it's 12 seconds.

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If you're under 55,

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men should do it in 13 seconds.

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Women in 15 seconds.

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And men over 55 should take

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less than 18 seconds.

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19 seconds if you are a woman.

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It's harder than it looks.

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Yeah. Nine, ten.

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Now it's time for test number two.

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So, although this is clearly a bit
of gym kit,

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presumably you can just use the
steps at home.

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Yes, so if you've got stairs in
your house

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or you've got a front doorstep, just
use the step you've got at home.

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This is a test of aerobic fitness -

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how strong your heart and lungs
really are.

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We're going to get you to step up
and down on the step

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for three minutes.

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But we're going to set the pace, and
we want you to keep to the pace.

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It's up, up, down, down.

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OK. Up, up, down, down.

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The key thing we're looking at
is heart rate.

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The lower your heart rate,
the fitter you are.

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If you're less fit, then your heart
rate is going to have to go up more.

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Yeah, your heart is going to have to
pump harder to get that oxygen to

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your tissues.
So that's why heart rate

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is a good indicator of your fitness.

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Three minutes of steps later,
it's time to take my pulse

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and work out my beats per minute.

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If you can't find it, think about
where your index finger is,

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and just come straight down.

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If people find that hard,
that might be a bit easier.

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I reckon my pulse is about 96
at the moment.

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For a man of your age, we'd
certainly be looking

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for a pulse under 115,
so that's great.

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That's a good measure of fitness.

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What should your heart rate be?

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If you're under 35 and male,

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it should be

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under 105 beats per minute.

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For a woman, 110.

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If you're a man under 55,

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less than 110.

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115 for women.

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Over 55 and male, 115.

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Female, 120.

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So, those are a couple of tests you
can do at home

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to measure how fit you are at the
moment.

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But what should you do if
you actually want to get fitter?

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Well, keep watching.

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One obvious way for most of us to
get fitter is walking.

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But how much do you really need to
do to make a difference?

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There is one number everyone bangs
on about - 10,000 steps a day.

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These days, you see a lot of people
wandering around,

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wearing something like this.

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It's an activity monitor.
And, amongst other things,

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it keeps track of the number
of steps you take.

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10,000 steps a day is the goal.

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10,000 steps to stay young and
healthy for ever!

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It's become a huge health craze -

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13 million Brits
now tracking their steps.

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But where does that magic number
come from?

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In the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics
in 1964,

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a company came up with a device
they called a Manpo Meter.

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That literally means
a 10,000 step meter.

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So that magical figure didn't come
as a result of

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rigorous scientific studies, but was
actually the product

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of a clever marketing campaign.

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It was clearly a great marketing
slogan,

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but is 10,000 steps really worth
doing?

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I've come to a factory in Sheffield,

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where six employees have agreed to
help me put it to the test.

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Hi, all. Hello.

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Thank you very much for agreeing to
take part in this.

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They all have different reasons for
wanting to get fitter.

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I'm very aware that I'm not as fit
as I used to be

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and I've put a lot of weight on.

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My only hobby at the moment
is knitting.

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I've got a little six-year-old girl
that runs about like a dafty

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and I can't catch her up.

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We're going to put the fabled
10,000 steps

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up against a much shorter
walking target.

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Running the experiment is
Professor Rob Copeland,

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from Sheffield Hallam University.

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So, you're going to test 10,000
steps against something

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which may be more doable and more
practical

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and also, perhaps, more effective?

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That's what we're really interested
in,

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exploring this concept
of 10,000 steps -

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is that really the best thing
to aim for?

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Or is there something that perhaps
you could fit into your life

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that might give you the same bang
for your buck, if you like?

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Fantastic. I'm in, then.

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Rob is splitting our six volunteers
into two groups.

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Today, Dave, Darren and Gillian

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will, a little reluctantly,
be attempting to hit

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the 10,000 step target.

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That's around five miles.

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All I want you to do is to
incorporate 10,000 steps

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into your normal day.
Simple as that.

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Meanwhile, Nathan, Gary and Judy

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will be trying something Rob calls
Active Ten.

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What I'd like you to do today

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is try to incorporate three ten
minutes of brisk walking

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into your normal day.

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We'll do it together. We'll do it
together. And I'll race you.

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Walking buddies. Yes.

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That's a good idea.
I like that. It's a good idea.

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Three sessions of an active ten
minutes of brisk walking

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adds up to a total of around one and
a half miles, more like 3,000 steps.

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Rob wants to compare
the health effects

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of these different approaches.

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Everyone is given a monitor to track
their activity.

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And Rob is particularly interested
in how much

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they increase their heart rate.

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Everyone goes back to work,
with their new targets.

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The 10,000 step group have quite
a challenge on their hands.

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To get 10,000 steps, today, one of
the things I've been doing

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is parking my car further away from
the factory.

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In an attempt to get my steps up,

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I'm going to load the dishwasher
item by item.

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Fitting five miles of walking into a
busy day can take some ingenuity.

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For the Active Ten group, the aim is
to get their pace up,

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so they're working their heart
and lungs.

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This should get them a bit out of
breath.

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They can still talk, but not sing.

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You follow me? Yes. Here we go!

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I'm joining them for their
first brisk outing.

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ALL: # It's a long way
to Tipperary... #

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We're not going fast enough.

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Shouldn't be able to sing!

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One ten-minute walk down, two to go.

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The next morning, everyone is back
at the factory

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to hand in their activity trackers.

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So, how easy was it for the
volunteers to reach their targets?

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First, the 10,000 steps group.

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Hi, gang. Good to see you again,
looking lean and mean.

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Gillian, Dave and Darren,
two of you managed to achieve

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your target of 10,000 steps,
so well done.

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Darren, you actually managed to do
11,000, so that was fantastic.

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Dave, you were slightly below that -
you managed just over 5,000 steps.

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Slightly below. Slightly below.

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Did you find it hard to hit that
target? Yeah.

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It took more time up from my day
than I thought it was going to.

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Dave, what do you think?
You're shaking your head.

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Yeah, no, I found it really
difficult. I'm office-based.

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I do, like, 2,000 normally,
and I found it really hard work.

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And what about the Active Ten
group?

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Nathan, Judy, and Gary, you all
managed to fit into your daily life

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these three ten-minute bouts of
brisk walking,

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so that's absolutely fantastic.

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Well done for that. Really good.

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So, how did you find doing those
bursts of ten minutes?

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Quite easy, actually.

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Me and Nathan chose to do it
together on two occasions,

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which made it a bit more
interesting as well.

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And who was the driving force?

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Me. Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Yeah.

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10,000 steps was harder to achieve,

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but which of our activities was
better for health?

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The Active Ten group actually moved
for 30% more

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in the moderate to vigorous physical
activity intensity,

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even though you moved for less time.

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And that's where you start to get
the greatest health benefits.

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The recommended amount of exercise

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is 150 minutes a week of moderate
intensity physical activity.

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This means getting out of breath
and increasing heart rate.

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So even though the Active Ten group
spent less time moving,

244
00:12:34,140 --> 00:12:37,500
they did more worthwhile moderate
exercise.

245
00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:39,140
What we wanted you to do, actually,

246
00:12:39,140 --> 00:12:40,900
was to get your heart
beating faster.

247
00:12:40,900 --> 00:12:43,980
There's lots of evidence to suggest
that you can lower your risk of

248
00:12:43,980 --> 00:12:48,860
diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
some cancers, even up to 20%,

249
00:12:48,860 --> 00:12:51,020
if you can increase your
physical activity.

250
00:12:51,020 --> 00:12:52,580
You going to join the club, Dave?

251
00:12:52,580 --> 00:12:56,060
It's not a very good looking club,
but I'll...

252
00:12:56,060 --> 00:12:58,380
That's why we need you, Dave.
Raise the average age.

253
00:12:58,380 --> 00:12:59,580
That's why we need you.

254
00:12:59,580 --> 00:13:03,940
So, three short brisk walks
were easier to fit in the day

255
00:13:03,940 --> 00:13:05,260
and better for health.

256
00:13:06,780 --> 00:13:08,540
I thought that was really
interesting

257
00:13:08,540 --> 00:13:10,140
and I found it very encouraging,

258
00:13:10,140 --> 00:13:13,060
because I really don't like doing
10,000 steps,

259
00:13:13,060 --> 00:13:16,780
so the fact that you can get
similar, perhaps greater, benefits

260
00:13:16,780 --> 00:13:20,100
from a few brisk walks a day
is enormously encouraging.

261
00:13:21,820 --> 00:13:24,540
To start doing some
Active Tens in your day,

262
00:13:24,540 --> 00:13:27,660
you can download this free
Public Health England app

263
00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:29,940
to see how much brisk
walking you're doing,

264
00:13:29,940 --> 00:13:31,420
and how to do more.

265
00:13:37,340 --> 00:13:41,620
If even 30 minutes of walking a day
sounds a little too much,

266
00:13:41,620 --> 00:13:45,700
then don't despair. It's possible to
get significantly fitter

267
00:13:45,700 --> 00:13:48,380
in far, far, less time.

268
00:13:49,420 --> 00:13:51,500
There's a form of exercise which,
it is claimed,

269
00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:55,620
can give you the benefit of a long
workout in a fraction of the time.

270
00:13:55,620 --> 00:13:59,020
It's called Hiit - high-intensity
interval training.

271
00:13:59,020 --> 00:14:03,180
It's said that just two minutes
a week can transform your body.

272
00:14:04,660 --> 00:14:09,820
So, how much benefit can you really
get from just two minutes a week?

273
00:14:09,820 --> 00:14:11,980
To find out, we're doing an
experiment

274
00:14:11,980 --> 00:14:13,980
that has never been done before.

275
00:14:13,980 --> 00:14:17,820
We're installing an exercise bike
in this London office.

276
00:14:17,820 --> 00:14:21,700
And six busy office workers will
be putting it to the test.

277
00:14:23,500 --> 00:14:24,860
Hi, all. Hello.

278
00:14:24,860 --> 00:14:26,380
Thank you for volunteering.

279
00:14:26,380 --> 00:14:27,900
Do you think it's going to work?

280
00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:30,460
I really hope it will
because, if it does,

281
00:14:30,460 --> 00:14:33,820
then that's quite an easy way to
get back into fitness.

282
00:14:33,820 --> 00:14:35,780
Personally, I don't think it's
going to work.

283
00:14:35,780 --> 00:14:37,740
I'm more used to doing an hour,
hour and a half,

284
00:14:37,740 --> 00:14:39,060
of really intense exercise,

285
00:14:39,060 --> 00:14:41,180
and feeling like I've had a proper
workout.

286
00:14:42,300 --> 00:14:46,380
Dr Niels Vollaard is an exercise
scientist and Hiit expert.

287
00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:49,660
First, he tests everyone's
aerobic fitness,

288
00:14:49,660 --> 00:14:52,660
by measuring how efficiently their
body uses oxygen.

289
00:14:53,980 --> 00:14:56,100
He will test them again in five
weeks' time,

290
00:14:56,100 --> 00:14:57,580
to see if they've improved.

291
00:14:59,260 --> 00:15:03,300
Now it's time for their first
session of high-intensity training.

292
00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:08,140
They'll cycle as hard as they can,
in just two bursts of 20 seconds.

293
00:15:17,140 --> 00:15:19,540
Not as bad as I thought it was
going to be, actually.

294
00:15:19,540 --> 00:15:20,740
Yeah, it's pretty good.

295
00:15:20,740 --> 00:15:22,780
It was harder than I expected.

296
00:15:22,780 --> 00:15:25,020
I'd be delighted if it works.

297
00:15:25,020 --> 00:15:29,100
They have to do 40 seconds of
high-intensity sprinting,

298
00:15:29,100 --> 00:15:30,660
three times a week.

299
00:15:30,660 --> 00:15:34,060
That means two minutes a week in
total, plus a warm-up

300
00:15:34,060 --> 00:15:36,020
and cool-down each session.

301
00:15:36,020 --> 00:15:42,020
Niels's research has shown that one
of the main ways Hiit seems to work

302
00:15:42,020 --> 00:15:45,580
is by triggering changes deep inside
the muscles.

303
00:15:45,580 --> 00:15:49,580
He can detect these changes using
an ultrasound on Igor,

304
00:15:49,580 --> 00:15:51,220
one of our volunteers.

305
00:15:51,220 --> 00:15:53,900
So, what are you hoping to do here?

306
00:15:53,900 --> 00:15:56,700
So, we're going to measure Igor's
muscle glycogen,

307
00:15:56,700 --> 00:16:00,340
or muscle sugar stores, here,
before and after exercise.

308
00:16:01,540 --> 00:16:05,700
In this image of Igor's muscle,
the dark areas are glycogen,

309
00:16:05,700 --> 00:16:08,740
a type of sugar that we store in our
muscles.

310
00:16:08,740 --> 00:16:11,740
Igor hasn't done any exercise today,
so the muscles' sugar stores,

311
00:16:11,740 --> 00:16:14,180
at the moment, are full. So, 100%.

312
00:16:14,180 --> 00:16:18,900
Niels will measure his sugar store
again after a Hiit sprint.

313
00:16:18,900 --> 00:16:20,940
So, are you ready to go?

314
00:16:20,940 --> 00:16:23,700
Yep. OK, right. Good luck.

315
00:16:31,540 --> 00:16:35,540
As Igor sprints, the sugar stored
in his muscles is released,

316
00:16:35,540 --> 00:16:38,500
broken down and used to power
the exercise.

317
00:16:40,460 --> 00:16:43,260
After the sprint, Niels measures
the amount of sugar

318
00:16:43,260 --> 00:16:45,540
that's left in Igor's muscle.

319
00:16:45,540 --> 00:16:47,900
You looked as though you were going
flat out.

320
00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:49,940
You are really going for it, there?

321
00:16:49,940 --> 00:16:51,700
It's definitely my max.

322
00:16:51,700 --> 00:16:54,100
There are now fewer dark areas,

323
00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:57,540
which means his glycogen stores
have fallen.

324
00:16:57,540 --> 00:17:01,100
They can calculate exactly by how
much.

325
00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:03,580
We have a result. He has a depletion

326
00:17:03,580 --> 00:17:06,300
of 24% on average
for his whole muscle.

327
00:17:06,300 --> 00:17:09,460
OK, 24% of the sugar has been,

328
00:17:09,460 --> 00:17:12,140
sort of, bashed up, smashed up
and removed.

329
00:17:12,140 --> 00:17:14,220
The body responds to this stress

330
00:17:14,220 --> 00:17:17,980
by trying to make itself
more resilient. It stimulates genes

331
00:17:17,980 --> 00:17:22,140
which improve the function of
the whole cardiovascular system.

332
00:17:23,140 --> 00:17:27,020
And so it's also affecting the
heart and all sorts of other things?

333
00:17:27,020 --> 00:17:29,380
Yeah. The adaptations will affect
the whole body,

334
00:17:29,380 --> 00:17:31,180
even though they start off in the
muscle.

335
00:17:31,180 --> 00:17:34,420
How are you feeling? Recovered?
Yeah, I've recovered.

336
00:17:34,420 --> 00:17:36,660
A little bit. Another five goes?

337
00:17:36,660 --> 00:17:37,980
No. No way.

338
00:17:39,340 --> 00:17:43,380
All exercise releases some glycogen
from our muscles,

339
00:17:43,380 --> 00:17:46,140
but Hiit does it faster and more
effectively.

340
00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:54,940
To achieve the same results with
other types of exercise,

341
00:17:54,940 --> 00:17:56,780
you'd have to run for 45 minutes.

342
00:17:58,460 --> 00:18:00,860
But does it actually make you
any fitter?

343
00:18:06,660 --> 00:18:09,980
Five weeks later, Niels is back to
find out.

344
00:18:09,980 --> 00:18:13,060
He's retesting the fitness of our
office workers

345
00:18:13,060 --> 00:18:15,820
to see whether this novel exercise
regime

346
00:18:15,820 --> 00:18:18,100
really has made any difference.

347
00:18:19,260 --> 00:18:22,220
Yeah, we've analysed the results
and I'm very pleased to say

348
00:18:22,220 --> 00:18:23,700
that all of you improved.

349
00:18:24,940 --> 00:18:26,980
Charlie, you were
our star performer -

350
00:18:26,980 --> 00:18:29,220
14% increase in your fitness levels.
Wow!

351
00:18:29,220 --> 00:18:32,940
As a group, the improvement that we
saw in your fitness levels

352
00:18:32,940 --> 00:18:36,820
was on average 11%, which is an
excellent improvement.

353
00:18:36,820 --> 00:18:39,140
Are you surprised?
I'm very surprised, yeah.

354
00:18:39,140 --> 00:18:42,700
Definitely. I did run up the
escalators today, and I did feel...

355
00:18:42,700 --> 00:18:45,340
I didn't feel as out of breath as
I would normally have felt.

356
00:18:45,340 --> 00:18:50,060
An 11% increase in aerobic fitness
is really impressive

357
00:18:50,060 --> 00:18:54,900
and, if they keep it up, has
significant health benefits.

358
00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:57,740
You might think, "Oh, well, 11%,
that's so-so."

359
00:18:57,740 --> 00:18:59,900
That's actually really good.

360
00:18:59,900 --> 00:19:02,220
We can compare that to risk of
disease,

361
00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:05,100
risk of getting heart disease, for
example.

362
00:19:05,100 --> 00:19:09,820
Your risk of getting heart disease
over a certain amount of time

363
00:19:09,820 --> 00:19:13,900
has been reduced, on average,
by about 20%.

364
00:19:13,900 --> 00:19:16,100
Do you think that,
having heard the numbers,

365
00:19:16,100 --> 00:19:18,060
you will be tempted now
to keep going?

366
00:19:18,060 --> 00:19:21,300
Yeah. Absolutely. Definitely. You're
all going for it, are you? OK, yeah.

367
00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:26,100
In this office, it looks like
the bike is here to stay.

368
00:19:26,100 --> 00:19:28,260
Hiit, high-intensity training,
isn't for everyone.

369
00:19:28,260 --> 00:19:29,980
If you prefer going for a long run

370
00:19:29,980 --> 00:19:31,980
or a vigorous game of football,
great.

371
00:19:31,980 --> 00:19:33,900
But if you're looking for something

372
00:19:33,900 --> 00:19:36,340
which gives you the maximum health
benefits

373
00:19:36,340 --> 00:19:39,500
in the minimum possible time,
then Hiit is it.

374
00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:46,700
Hiit is clearly an incredibly
efficient way

375
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:48,700
to get the most out of exercise,

376
00:19:48,700 --> 00:19:51,620
but what if you don't have access
to a Hiit bike?

377
00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:57,780
Until very recently, almost all
the studies which have looked at

378
00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:01,620
the benefits of Hiit have been done
on specialised bicycles.

379
00:20:01,620 --> 00:20:05,020
But there is really new research
which has shown it's possible

380
00:20:05,020 --> 00:20:09,260
to get all those lovely benefits of
Hiit without a bicycle -

381
00:20:09,260 --> 00:20:11,500
in fact, without even leaving your
home.

382
00:20:15,140 --> 00:20:17,340
Hi, Beth. Hi. Come in.

383
00:20:17,340 --> 00:20:22,220
Dr Beth Phillips is an assistant
professor at Nottingham University.

384
00:20:22,220 --> 00:20:25,900
She's going to show me the short
programme of intense exercise

385
00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:28,300
that she has developed for you
at home.

386
00:20:28,300 --> 00:20:29,580
What do I do?

387
00:20:29,580 --> 00:20:34,180
OK, so, this Hiit protocol is based
around five minutes of hard work.

388
00:20:34,180 --> 00:20:37,580
First, it's some gentle jogging to
warm up.

389
00:20:37,580 --> 00:20:40,980
Feels slightly bonkers doing this
inside, but still, yeah...

390
00:20:42,620 --> 00:20:45,420
The first exercise that we're
going to go into is your star jumps,

391
00:20:45,420 --> 00:20:48,620
OK? So, you're going to do a minute,
hard and as fast as you can,

392
00:20:48,620 --> 00:20:50,220
so when you're ready... I'm ready.

393
00:20:50,220 --> 00:20:52,180
Off you go. OK.

394
00:20:52,180 --> 00:20:54,140
Two, three, four...

395
00:20:54,140 --> 00:20:55,460
Well done. That's great.

396
00:20:55,460 --> 00:20:56,740
19, 20...

397
00:20:56,740 --> 00:20:59,020
Try and keep the pace. 21, 22...

398
00:20:59,020 --> 00:21:01,020
And halfway. Halfway?

399
00:21:01,020 --> 00:21:05,100
BETH CHUCKLES
32, 33...

400
00:21:05,100 --> 00:21:08,340
I have to do as many as I possibly
can in one minute.

401
00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:13,180
And three, two, one, and recover.

402
00:21:13,180 --> 00:21:15,460
So, that was about 57.

403
00:21:15,460 --> 00:21:18,860
After a brief recovery,
it's exercise two -

404
00:21:18,860 --> 00:21:20,820
one minute of squats.

405
00:21:20,820 --> 00:21:22,740
Make sure those knees don't go over
your toes.

406
00:21:22,740 --> 00:21:24,100
That's it. Weight on the heels.

407
00:21:24,100 --> 00:21:25,980
Well done. 15, 16...

408
00:21:27,180 --> 00:21:29,500
Nearly there. Last five seconds.

409
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:30,860
43...

410
00:21:30,860 --> 00:21:34,940
Three, two, one, and recover.

411
00:21:34,940 --> 00:21:36,380
Oh, feel them thighs. 46.

412
00:21:36,380 --> 00:21:40,660
Now, exercise three -
static sprinting.

413
00:21:40,660 --> 00:21:44,460
Usain Bolt. That's it - keep it
going, keep it going. Really good.

414
00:21:44,460 --> 00:21:46,420
Well done. Keep going, come on.

415
00:21:46,420 --> 00:21:48,900
That's it. Great stuff. Well done.

416
00:21:48,900 --> 00:21:51,460
Really good. Come on,
keep that pace, keep that pace.

417
00:21:51,460 --> 00:21:53,580
That's it. Really, really well done.

418
00:21:53,580 --> 00:21:58,900
20 seconds left.
Three, two, one, and recover.

419
00:21:58,900 --> 00:22:00,500
That was knackering!

420
00:22:00,500 --> 00:22:02,380
Ha!

421
00:22:02,380 --> 00:22:03,620
Certainly feel it.

422
00:22:05,260 --> 00:22:09,380
Now I do the squats and star jumps
again to finish.

423
00:22:09,380 --> 00:22:11,420
That's it. Don't slow at the end.
Keep it going.

424
00:22:11,420 --> 00:22:15,140
Three, two, one, and recover.

425
00:22:15,140 --> 00:22:16,900
Well done. Great work.

426
00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:19,460
End of. How did you find it?

427
00:22:19,460 --> 00:22:23,780
It was actually more intense
than I was expecting it to be.

428
00:22:23,780 --> 00:22:25,660
And no equipment.
No equipment at all.

429
00:22:27,180 --> 00:22:29,860
In Beth's research,
people who did five minutes

430
00:22:29,860 --> 00:22:32,740
of these living-room exercises
three times a week

431
00:22:32,740 --> 00:22:36,420
made the same impressive gains in
fitness as those who used a bike

432
00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:40,540
in the lab. But it's worth getting a
checkup before you start doing

433
00:22:40,540 --> 00:22:43,580
high-intensity exercise, especially
if you've been

434
00:22:43,580 --> 00:22:45,020
inactive for a long time.

435
00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:51,540
Try and get your knees up,

436
00:22:51,540 --> 00:22:54,380
try and get the thighs parallel
to the floor.

437
00:22:54,380 --> 00:22:57,020
We've started by looking at the best
ways

438
00:22:57,020 --> 00:23:00,340
to improve your aerobic fitness -
your heart and lungs.

439
00:23:00,340 --> 00:23:03,180
But now I want to look at what
the latest science says

440
00:23:03,180 --> 00:23:05,860
is the best way to get stronger.

441
00:23:07,460 --> 00:23:10,380
Strength training is a hugely
important part of getting fit,

442
00:23:10,380 --> 00:23:11,860
and it's often neglected.

443
00:23:11,860 --> 00:23:14,900
There is, however, a trend,
particularly amongst young women,

444
00:23:14,900 --> 00:23:18,820
to building muscle under the slogan
"strong over skinny".

445
00:23:20,220 --> 00:23:24,140
These hard-won abs and toned biceps
are the results of hours

446
00:23:24,140 --> 00:23:28,620
pumping iron down the gym. But I'm
hoping there might be an easier way.

447
00:23:30,140 --> 00:23:32,500
So, what's the best way
to build muscle?

448
00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:35,020
Researchers from Glasgow University

449
00:23:35,020 --> 00:23:38,340
are about to start an intriguing
study to find out.

450
00:23:40,540 --> 00:23:44,100
Dr Stuart Gray and his colleague
Danai Stefanaki

451
00:23:44,100 --> 00:23:47,140
want to test whether it's best to
lift heavy weights

452
00:23:47,140 --> 00:23:50,540
or if you'll get just as good
results from lifting light weights.

453
00:23:51,820 --> 00:23:54,060
They've got five female recruits

454
00:23:54,060 --> 00:23:58,340
who currently don't do
any strength training.

455
00:23:58,340 --> 00:24:02,180
Do you think that strength exercises
are more typically a male thing?

456
00:24:02,180 --> 00:24:03,740
Do you perceive it as that?

457
00:24:03,740 --> 00:24:07,140
I think, from my experience,
certainly sometimes the gym I go to,

458
00:24:07,140 --> 00:24:10,540
the weights area is full of men.

459
00:24:10,540 --> 00:24:12,340
I think things are changing, though.

460
00:24:12,340 --> 00:24:15,300
Young girls are much more inclined
to go for strength now as opposed to

461
00:24:15,300 --> 00:24:20,100
skinny, so they're wanting muscles
and six-packs and things and putting

462
00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:23,700
them up on Instagram rather than
trying to look like Kate Moss.

463
00:24:24,940 --> 00:24:27,380
To compare the effects of
light and heavy weights,

464
00:24:27,380 --> 00:24:30,020
they're going to use an unusual
training method.

465
00:24:31,860 --> 00:24:35,060
With one arm, our volunteers will
lift a heavy weight

466
00:24:35,060 --> 00:24:37,300
and with the other, a light weight.

467
00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:40,820
And the same with the legs - heavy
on one side, light on the other.

468
00:24:42,660 --> 00:24:44,260
So is there a risk we'll end up

469
00:24:44,260 --> 00:24:47,740
with one huge bicep and one
not-so-huge bicep?

470
00:24:47,740 --> 00:24:50,220
I wouldn't like to prejudge. We
shall wait and see

471
00:24:50,220 --> 00:24:53,660
what the result shows and we'll
hopefully find out at the end.

472
00:24:53,660 --> 00:24:56,260
There's just one important rule.

473
00:24:57,380 --> 00:24:59,380
Both arms, regardless of the weight,

474
00:24:59,380 --> 00:25:01,740
have to go until you can't lift
any more.

475
00:25:01,740 --> 00:25:05,620
Stuart measures how strong they are
at the start by asking them

476
00:25:05,620 --> 00:25:08,300
to lift the heaviest weight they
can.

477
00:25:08,300 --> 00:25:09,820
Up, up, up, up.

478
00:25:11,500 --> 00:25:14,580
He'll measure how much stronger
they are at the end.

479
00:25:14,580 --> 00:25:16,220
Now training can begin.

480
00:25:22,860 --> 00:25:25,620
They'll do two sessions a week
for six weeks.

481
00:25:31,020 --> 00:25:34,060
My first training session was good.
It was pretty tiring.

482
00:25:35,100 --> 00:25:36,940
I'm not really used to doing weights
at all.

483
00:25:36,940 --> 00:25:38,020
I can feel it already,

484
00:25:38,020 --> 00:25:40,180
so I think tomorrow it's going to be
even worse.

485
00:25:40,180 --> 00:25:41,300
I felt really strange.

486
00:25:41,300 --> 00:25:43,980
Obviously, the heavy one feels
really strong on your arm,

487
00:25:43,980 --> 00:25:46,700
whereas the light one feels like
you're almost repeating nothing.

488
00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:51,740
I'm feeling worked out and I've only
been here a few minutes.

489
00:25:51,740 --> 00:25:55,500
Strength training is important for
our mobility and our health.

490
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:59,700
If we don't do it, there's a natural
muscle wastage as we get older.

491
00:26:00,860 --> 00:26:04,500
Normally about the age of 35,
people will start to lose muscle -

492
00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:07,660
roughly about 1% of your muscle mass
every year.

493
00:26:07,660 --> 00:26:11,180
You probably won't notice it until
you kind of cross a threshold

494
00:26:11,180 --> 00:26:13,260
where you lose the ability to carry
out things,

495
00:26:13,260 --> 00:26:15,860
tasks you could normally do,
like climbing up the stairs,

496
00:26:15,860 --> 00:26:18,220
getting off a chair and these kind
of things.

497
00:26:18,220 --> 00:26:22,060
The good news is, this loss of
muscle mass can be prevented -

498
00:26:22,060 --> 00:26:24,180
at any age.

499
00:26:24,180 --> 00:26:26,660
So, these are MRI images which are
looking down

500
00:26:26,660 --> 00:26:30,660
into somebody's thigh from the top.
You can see the kind of bone here.

501
00:26:30,660 --> 00:26:32,220
A cross-section through the thigh?

502
00:26:32,220 --> 00:26:34,060
Yeah, and then you've got
the muscle tissue

503
00:26:34,060 --> 00:26:37,100
and then you've got the fat
just under the skin, round the edge.

504
00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:40,900
So this is a 65-year-old who is
relatively sedentary,

505
00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:43,500
doesn't do a lot of physical
activity at all,

506
00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:46,180
and this is a 65-year-old who has
throughout their life

507
00:26:46,180 --> 00:26:47,860
done a lot of physical activity.

508
00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:51,020
As well as maintaining mobility,

509
00:26:51,020 --> 00:26:55,660
there are other important benefits
to having bigger, stronger muscles.

510
00:26:55,660 --> 00:26:59,020
They can reduce our risk of type-two
diabetes.

511
00:26:59,020 --> 00:27:02,340
Muscle is the main place where sugar
goes when you eat a meal,

512
00:27:02,340 --> 00:27:05,660
so this muscle here is going to be
able to take a lot more sugar

513
00:27:05,660 --> 00:27:09,140
than this muscle here, because of
the size and quality of the muscle,

514
00:27:09,140 --> 00:27:13,060
and if the sugar doesn't come out of
the blood

515
00:27:13,060 --> 00:27:14,420
and hangs about in the blood,

516
00:27:14,420 --> 00:27:16,420
that's going to increase your risk
of diabetes.

517
00:27:16,420 --> 00:27:18,660
Right, so it's like a giant sponge
in a way,

518
00:27:18,660 --> 00:27:21,900
sucking the sugar out of your system
and reducing the amount that is

519
00:27:21,900 --> 00:27:24,340
circulating in a rather unhelpful
way around the rest of you?

520
00:27:26,620 --> 00:27:29,700
Our volunteers are hard at it with
their training programme.

521
00:27:32,380 --> 00:27:37,340
So, I've woken up this morning, my
legs feel OK, my right arm feels OK,

522
00:27:37,340 --> 00:27:41,380
but my left arm, I can definitely
feel that I've put it to work.

523
00:27:41,380 --> 00:27:43,340
Well, guys, do you think
I'm more muscly?

524
00:27:46,860 --> 00:27:49,900
I'm finding that the day after,
the lighter side,

525
00:27:49,900 --> 00:27:51,460
my lighter leg is really...

526
00:27:51,460 --> 00:27:53,420
Especially the leg is really
killing me.

527
00:27:53,420 --> 00:27:55,740
After six weeks of commitment...

528
00:27:55,740 --> 00:27:57,740
Oh!

529
00:27:57,740 --> 00:27:58,900
..hard work...

530
00:28:00,220 --> 00:28:01,460
..and determination...

531
00:28:03,940 --> 00:28:06,940
..everyone has been retested to see
how much stronger

532
00:28:06,940 --> 00:28:09,540
their arms and legs are at the end.

533
00:28:09,540 --> 00:28:12,900
So which has made more of
a difference to their strength -

534
00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:14,940
the heavy or the lighter weights?

535
00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:16,020
Show of hands -

536
00:28:16,020 --> 00:28:19,180
who thinks the heavy weight will
produce the biggest result?

537
00:28:19,180 --> 00:28:22,260
OK, that's two of you.
Who thinks the light weight?

538
00:28:23,780 --> 00:28:26,980
OK, one of you, and who's going for
both? OK, two of you.

539
00:28:26,980 --> 00:28:29,540
So, did it make any difference
whether they were doing

540
00:28:29,540 --> 00:28:31,660
the heavy weights
or the light weights?

541
00:28:31,660 --> 00:28:32,980
The short answer...is "no".

542
00:28:32,980 --> 00:28:34,700
THEY CHEER

543
00:28:34,700 --> 00:28:36,540
I knew it!

544
00:28:36,540 --> 00:28:41,500
OK, so, two of you voted for
no difference - exactly.

545
00:28:41,500 --> 00:28:42,820
No gloating. Come on.

546
00:28:44,180 --> 00:28:47,420
Regardless of weight, arms increased
by 18%, 19%

547
00:28:47,420 --> 00:28:52,100
and the legs by about 25%, but the
weight made no difference at all.

548
00:28:52,100 --> 00:28:57,460
An increase in strength of 25% in
just six weeks is impressive.

549
00:28:57,460 --> 00:29:00,140
And the volunteers haven't ended up
lopsided.

550
00:29:00,140 --> 00:29:05,060
They've got stronger by the same
amount in both arms and both legs.

551
00:29:05,060 --> 00:29:07,100
But which did they prefer?

552
00:29:07,100 --> 00:29:10,100
The heavy or the light weights?

553
00:29:10,100 --> 00:29:13,700
Who will actually want to continue
with the heavy weights?

554
00:29:13,700 --> 00:29:15,260
So, all of you.

555
00:29:15,260 --> 00:29:17,700
All of you preferred the heavy
weights to the light weights?

556
00:29:17,700 --> 00:29:20,540
Interesting. Because I would have
thought, I must admit,

557
00:29:20,540 --> 00:29:22,340
light weights sound easier,
but it wasn't?

558
00:29:22,340 --> 00:29:24,300
No, I don't think light weights are
easier.

559
00:29:24,300 --> 00:29:26,740
I think it burns more at the time,
so, yeah,

560
00:29:26,740 --> 00:29:29,220
I definitely don't think it's
easier. And it took longer?

561
00:29:29,220 --> 00:29:30,740
And it takes longer.

562
00:29:30,740 --> 00:29:32,740
This is a surprise result.

563
00:29:32,740 --> 00:29:36,380
We found that light weights are just
as effective as heavy.

564
00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:38,900
But all of the volunteers preferred
the heavy weights,

565
00:29:38,900 --> 00:29:40,780
because it didn't take as long.

566
00:29:42,180 --> 00:29:45,220
I've never, ever been tempted to do
weights before.

567
00:29:45,220 --> 00:29:49,060
But I must admit, as a result of
seeing what happened in this study,

568
00:29:49,060 --> 00:29:52,380
I am going to take it up.
And, like our volunteers,

569
00:29:52,380 --> 00:29:54,700
I am tempted to use the kind of
heavier weights,

570
00:29:54,700 --> 00:29:57,660
because it's over and done with
really fast.

571
00:29:57,660 --> 00:30:00,900
Although you can, of course, do the
lighter things but, in that case,

572
00:30:00,900 --> 00:30:04,420
it's going to take you longer before
you reach the point of exhaustion.

573
00:30:04,420 --> 00:30:08,020
But the great thing is, you only
need to do this twice a week.

574
00:30:11,380 --> 00:30:15,100
To build muscle, you don't have to
use weights.

575
00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:17,180
You can use your own body weight

576
00:30:17,180 --> 00:30:19,860
with exercises like squats
and press ups.

577
00:30:19,860 --> 00:30:23,260
Aim for twice a week, and keep going
until you're tired.

578
00:30:28,340 --> 00:30:31,620
So far, we've seen how the latest
science is pointing us

579
00:30:31,620 --> 00:30:34,620
towards quicker, more effective ways
to improve

580
00:30:34,620 --> 00:30:36,980
our aerobic fitness and our
strength.

581
00:30:38,540 --> 00:30:42,820
Heavy weights came out on top as
the fast favourite to build muscle.

582
00:30:42,820 --> 00:30:46,900
And whether it's brisk walks
or short, sharp bursts of Hiit,

583
00:30:46,900 --> 00:30:48,340
intensity is best.

584
00:30:52,020 --> 00:30:57,340
The problem many of us face is how
to make our good intentions last.

585
00:30:57,340 --> 00:31:03,100
We waste nearly £600 million a year
on unused gym memberships.

586
00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:06,100
So what's the secret to sticking to
our fitness plans?

587
00:31:07,300 --> 00:31:09,780
Like a lot of people, I have these
moments when I think,

588
00:31:09,780 --> 00:31:11,140
"Ooh, I must get in shape,"

589
00:31:11,140 --> 00:31:15,940
and so I start doing loads of
exercise, and then I injure myself

590
00:31:15,940 --> 00:31:20,820
or it gets cold and dark outside
or perhaps I just get busy at work,

591
00:31:20,820 --> 00:31:23,820
I give up, and then I find it
incredibly difficult

592
00:31:23,820 --> 00:31:25,460
to get motivated again.

593
00:31:25,460 --> 00:31:29,260
So what is the secret behind
discovering an exercise regime

594
00:31:29,260 --> 00:31:32,900
that you will stick to? Is it simply
a matter of willpower

595
00:31:32,900 --> 00:31:34,580
or is it something else?

596
00:31:36,020 --> 00:31:38,420
Willpower is all about
determination,

597
00:31:38,420 --> 00:31:40,660
making yourself do something
that's not easy.

598
00:31:42,700 --> 00:31:46,020
Studying it is exercise psychologist
Dr Ian Taylor

599
00:31:46,020 --> 00:31:48,500
at the University of Loughborough.

600
00:31:48,500 --> 00:31:51,020
So, Ian, a lot of people sign
up to places like this,

601
00:31:51,020 --> 00:31:54,620
they pay their money, they come for
a few weeks, and then they give up.

602
00:31:54,620 --> 00:31:59,060
Now, why is that? People are mostly
motivated by willpower.

603
00:31:59,060 --> 00:32:01,180
And it's a not-very-good motivation
at all.

604
00:32:01,180 --> 00:32:03,220
It's a very fragile type
of motivation.

605
00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:05,820
Hopefully, I'm going to demonstrate
this to you in an experiment,

606
00:32:05,820 --> 00:32:07,380
exactly how fragile it is.

607
00:32:12,540 --> 00:32:16,420
Ian has invited ten volunteers to
the University.

608
00:32:16,420 --> 00:32:18,940
They've been told they are here to
take part in a study

609
00:32:18,940 --> 00:32:20,700
about exercise techniques.

610
00:32:20,700 --> 00:32:24,700
But they don't know it's
really a psychology experiment,

611
00:32:24,700 --> 00:32:28,300
or that it has anything to do with
willpower.

612
00:32:28,300 --> 00:32:30,660
Who here has ever joined a gym?

613
00:32:30,660 --> 00:32:33,020
Me. All of you? OK.

614
00:32:33,020 --> 00:32:36,140
I did try for about three weeks, but
I only managed to get there twice.

615
00:32:36,140 --> 00:32:37,820
I made about two months,

616
00:32:37,820 --> 00:32:40,500
and continued paying the membership
for about another six months.

617
00:32:41,940 --> 00:32:44,380
We're going to look at what affects
willpower,

618
00:32:44,380 --> 00:32:49,500
and how big a part it really plays
in how much exercise you do.

619
00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:56,100
So, if we can have Sally, Sam,
Brett, David and Alex on this side.

620
00:32:56,100 --> 00:32:58,100
After being split into two groups,

621
00:32:58,100 --> 00:33:01,060
each volunteer does a timed
wall sit,

622
00:33:01,060 --> 00:33:04,380
using their thigh muscles to balance
against a wall,

623
00:33:04,380 --> 00:33:07,500
which they'll repeat after their
willpower has been tested.

624
00:33:10,220 --> 00:33:13,140
Each group has their own experiment
room -

625
00:33:13,140 --> 00:33:17,580
identical, except one will feature
some freshly warmed,

626
00:33:17,580 --> 00:33:19,820
delicious smelling, tasty treats.

627
00:33:22,540 --> 00:33:25,220
A volunteer from each group had been
brought into their room

628
00:33:25,220 --> 00:33:26,940
for stage one of the experiment.

629
00:33:29,460 --> 00:33:32,060
They can't see us
but we can see them.

630
00:33:34,620 --> 00:33:36,020
What's going on in here?

631
00:33:36,020 --> 00:33:37,820
So we've got a participant at the
minute,

632
00:33:37,820 --> 00:33:40,540
filling out some questionnaires,
and they're completely bogus.

633
00:33:40,540 --> 00:33:42,300
They're nothing to do with the
experiment.

634
00:33:42,300 --> 00:33:44,980
But what we've got on the table, as
you can see, is some cookies.

635
00:33:44,980 --> 00:33:46,620
Don't worry about the cookies -

636
00:33:46,620 --> 00:33:48,460
they're for something we're doing
later.

637
00:33:48,460 --> 00:33:50,500
We've also wafted the smell of
cookies.

638
00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:53,420
Now, we've told the participants not
to eat for a couple of hours

639
00:33:53,420 --> 00:33:56,100
before the experiment, so they'll
probably be hungry.

640
00:33:56,100 --> 00:33:59,180
So the idea is that while they
finish out those questionnaires,

641
00:33:59,180 --> 00:34:02,460
they'll be tempted by
the cookie smell

642
00:34:02,460 --> 00:34:04,300
and they'll have to resist that
temptation.

643
00:34:04,300 --> 00:34:06,100
They'll be using
willpower at the moment.

644
00:34:06,100 --> 00:34:08,660
I mean, just standing here, I'm
tempted. I can't smell them,

645
00:34:08,660 --> 00:34:10,380
I can see them, I like cookies,
I'm hungry,

646
00:34:10,380 --> 00:34:13,900
I want to go in there, grab one. I'm
not going to. Exactly, exactly!

647
00:34:13,900 --> 00:34:16,260
In the other room, their willpower
won't be tested

648
00:34:16,260 --> 00:34:18,340
before they're asked to exercise.

649
00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:22,180
OK, same sort of room, no cookies.

650
00:34:22,180 --> 00:34:24,700
Got a couple of questionnaires for
you to fill out.

651
00:34:24,700 --> 00:34:28,300
This is the room where they're doing
exactly the same thing.

652
00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:30,780
The only difference is,
they can't smell cookies,

653
00:34:30,780 --> 00:34:32,020
they can't see cookies.

654
00:34:32,020 --> 00:34:33,980
So they're not being tempted,

655
00:34:33,980 --> 00:34:36,820
they're not having to use willpower
to resist the cookies.

656
00:34:36,820 --> 00:34:41,340
After five minutes of form filling
and some cookie smelling,

657
00:34:41,340 --> 00:34:43,060
the volunteers repeat the wall sit.

658
00:34:44,980 --> 00:34:48,060
So will having to use willpower
to resist the cookies

659
00:34:48,060 --> 00:34:50,460
affect how long they can do
the exercise?

660
00:34:51,660 --> 00:34:53,140
The hypothesis is that,

661
00:34:53,140 --> 00:34:56,500
because they have not used any
willpower to resist cookies,

662
00:34:56,500 --> 00:34:59,940
they should be more willing to use
willpower in the second task,

663
00:34:59,940 --> 00:35:01,140
the wall-sit task.

664
00:35:01,140 --> 00:35:03,180
Legs gave out before I wanted to.

665
00:35:06,660 --> 00:35:10,620
After analysing the results, it's
time to reveal to our volunteers

666
00:35:10,620 --> 00:35:12,700
what today has really been about.

667
00:35:14,020 --> 00:35:17,540
Now, you came here thinking this had
something to do with exercise,

668
00:35:17,540 --> 00:35:20,620
efficiency, better ways of doing
exercise.

669
00:35:20,620 --> 00:35:23,100
Actually, it has absolutely
nothing to do with that.

670
00:35:23,100 --> 00:35:24,860
THEY CHUCKLE

671
00:35:24,860 --> 00:35:28,700
Who here went into a room where
there were some biscuits?

672
00:35:28,700 --> 00:35:31,420
Oh, are you beginning to get a hint
here?

673
00:35:31,420 --> 00:35:33,060
That is part of what we were
looking at.

674
00:35:33,060 --> 00:35:35,820
We were actually looking at
willpower.

675
00:35:35,820 --> 00:35:38,980
For two people, there was very,
very large effects,

676
00:35:38,980 --> 00:35:42,140
where you had big decreases from
your first wall sit

677
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:44,460
to your second one
in the cookie group.

678
00:35:44,460 --> 00:35:46,860
So, within your group, who do you
think it was?

679
00:35:46,860 --> 00:35:48,300
I think I was.

680
00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:50,820
You think as well?
It might have been me.

681
00:35:50,820 --> 00:35:52,740
OK. Was it out of those two?

682
00:35:52,740 --> 00:35:54,260
It was...Giuseppe...

683
00:35:55,420 --> 00:35:56,660
..and Ian...
THEY CHUCKLE

684
00:35:59,020 --> 00:36:02,700
..who were... Yeah, you absolutely
replicated the effects well.

685
00:36:02,700 --> 00:36:05,620
Huge decreases from your
first to second wall sit.

686
00:36:07,140 --> 00:36:10,500
All the volunteers in the room
without the cookie temptation

687
00:36:10,500 --> 00:36:14,700
lasted just as long in the wall sit
as they did at the start of the day.

688
00:36:15,700 --> 00:36:17,140
But Ian and Giuseppe,

689
00:36:17,140 --> 00:36:20,340
after manfully resisting
the delicious smelling cookies,

690
00:36:20,340 --> 00:36:24,260
managed 30 seconds less than they
had previously.

691
00:36:24,260 --> 00:36:28,300
This experiment was based on a
renowned psychology study in the US.

692
00:36:29,660 --> 00:36:33,060
We're trying to replicate an effect
that's been shown in the research

693
00:36:33,060 --> 00:36:37,460
where, when you use willpower once,
you will use less the second time.

694
00:36:37,460 --> 00:36:40,500
So you'll give up on the wall sit
a lot quicker,

695
00:36:40,500 --> 00:36:42,340
because willpower reduces over time.

696
00:36:42,340 --> 00:36:44,580
So if you think about the cookies in
your experiment,

697
00:36:44,580 --> 00:36:46,460
equate that to the sofa
for exercise.

698
00:36:46,460 --> 00:36:48,020
The sofa is the cookie.

699
00:36:48,020 --> 00:36:51,020
Get rid of the sofa.
Get rid of the sofa!

700
00:36:51,020 --> 00:36:53,580
Or at least don't go into that room
where the sofa is,

701
00:36:53,580 --> 00:36:55,380
or go straight to the gym
after work.

702
00:36:55,380 --> 00:36:59,020
What are the temptations in your
house and think,

703
00:36:59,020 --> 00:37:00,780
"OK, how can I avoid those
temptations?

704
00:37:00,780 --> 00:37:03,340
"Can I remove those temptations?"

705
00:37:03,340 --> 00:37:06,020
Basically, make sure there's no wine
in the house, then, as well.

706
00:37:06,020 --> 00:37:08,340
If you're relying on willpower
for you to exercise,

707
00:37:08,340 --> 00:37:10,380
it will probably fail.

708
00:37:10,380 --> 00:37:14,020
If willpower isn't a good motivator,
what is?

709
00:37:14,020 --> 00:37:18,060
What you need to do is to look at
more immediate satisfactions.

710
00:37:18,060 --> 00:37:22,220
A podcast while you're walking or
if you enjoy the company

711
00:37:22,220 --> 00:37:24,940
of the fitness instructor,
what do you enjoy?

712
00:37:24,940 --> 00:37:26,700
If you fancy
the fitness instructor...

713
00:37:26,700 --> 00:37:27,820
I didn't want to say that!

714
00:37:27,820 --> 00:37:30,060
Sometimes you have to get motivation

715
00:37:30,060 --> 00:37:32,620
for doing stuff with other people,
don't you?

716
00:37:32,620 --> 00:37:35,020
I find I'm far
more motivated to go

717
00:37:35,020 --> 00:37:38,580
if it's with somebody else. If it's
by myself, there's no chance.

718
00:37:38,580 --> 00:37:42,020
If you really enjoy your daughter's
company or your friend's company,

719
00:37:42,020 --> 00:37:44,820
then it's short-term satisfaction.

720
00:37:44,820 --> 00:37:46,140
They will keep you going.

721
00:37:46,140 --> 00:37:49,220
It's the enjoyment and the value of
that exercise,

722
00:37:49,220 --> 00:37:52,020
rather than the guilt or other
people telling you to do so.

723
00:37:52,020 --> 00:37:55,220
If you don't enjoy going to the gym,
don't go to the gym.

724
00:37:55,220 --> 00:37:56,860
Find something else
that you DO enjoy.

725
00:37:58,100 --> 00:38:02,100
So the secret of willpower is not to
need it in the first place.

726
00:38:10,940 --> 00:38:14,100
Another reason some of us are
reluctant to exercise

727
00:38:14,100 --> 00:38:17,140
is a fear of doing ourselves damage.

728
00:38:17,140 --> 00:38:20,900
And there's one activity that has a
particularly bad reputation,

729
00:38:20,900 --> 00:38:22,380
especially for our joints.

730
00:38:23,660 --> 00:38:24,900
But new research

731
00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:28,460
could be about to turn
this fear of running on its head.

732
00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:32,380
Running is good for your heart
and your lungs.

733
00:38:32,380 --> 00:38:34,060
But there are many people,
including me,

734
00:38:34,060 --> 00:38:35,900
who worry that it's bad for the
joints,

735
00:38:35,900 --> 00:38:37,300
particularly the knees.

736
00:38:37,300 --> 00:38:39,500
Is this true? I'm about to find out.

737
00:38:40,780 --> 00:38:43,180
I've come to St Mary's University
in London

738
00:38:43,180 --> 00:38:45,020
to meet Professor John Brewer,

739
00:38:45,020 --> 00:38:48,860
exercise scientist and running
enthusiast.

740
00:38:48,860 --> 00:38:52,500
I'm pretty convinced that when I
run, when I exercise,

741
00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:54,420
it leads to potential injuries to
the knee.

742
00:38:54,420 --> 00:38:57,020
Because it makes sense, you're
pounding away on the concrete.

743
00:38:57,020 --> 00:38:58,940
Yeah. And that sends shocks
through your knee,

744
00:38:58,940 --> 00:39:01,660
and that adds to wear and tear,
osteoarthritis and things like that.

745
00:39:01,660 --> 00:39:03,180
That's an easy assumption to make,

746
00:39:03,180 --> 00:39:05,980
because of course there'll be forces
going to the foot, the lower leg,

747
00:39:05,980 --> 00:39:07,740
and the knee when you're running.

748
00:39:07,740 --> 00:39:09,380
And it's thought that those forces

749
00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:11,380
will damage this all-important
cartilage

750
00:39:11,380 --> 00:39:13,260
that rests between
the bones of the knee.

751
00:39:14,660 --> 00:39:18,100
We're doing an experiment to measure
the forces that go through our knees

752
00:39:18,100 --> 00:39:20,860
when we run, compared with walking.

753
00:39:20,860 --> 00:39:22,860
And I'm the guinea pig.

754
00:39:24,380 --> 00:39:27,300
John is using motion capture
technology.

755
00:39:27,300 --> 00:39:30,420
This helps him to see exactly how
my body moves.

756
00:39:31,740 --> 00:39:35,140
My first challenge is an easy one.

757
00:39:35,140 --> 00:39:37,500
So you're going to walk
along the track here.

758
00:39:37,500 --> 00:39:39,260
We've got two force platforms.

759
00:39:39,260 --> 00:39:41,860
They will measure the force every
time your foot hits the ground.

760
00:39:41,860 --> 00:39:44,100
So just walk naturally, look ahead,

761
00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:46,540
nice and steadily down towards
the camera at the end there.

762
00:39:46,540 --> 00:39:48,980
Take your time, off you go.
OK.

763
00:39:51,260 --> 00:39:53,300
I'm glad there aren't any mirrors in
here,

764
00:39:53,300 --> 00:39:56,420
as I don't think this is a good
look.

765
00:39:56,420 --> 00:39:59,060
First, walking.

766
00:39:59,060 --> 00:40:02,420
By analysing my movement and the
forces going through my joints,

767
00:40:02,420 --> 00:40:06,540
this will allow John to measure how
much impact and potential damage is

768
00:40:06,540 --> 00:40:08,940
happening to my knees.

769
00:40:08,940 --> 00:40:12,580
Now for something a little more
energetic.

770
00:40:12,580 --> 00:40:14,820
OK, Michael, so this time we're not
going to walk.

771
00:40:14,820 --> 00:40:17,660
We're going to ask you to run.
In your own time, a nice...

772
00:40:17,660 --> 00:40:19,780
No, no, no. Definitely not, not
Usain Bolt.

773
00:40:19,780 --> 00:40:21,140
More Mo Farah. OK. OK.

774
00:40:21,140 --> 00:40:24,540
Even Mo Farah is probably about
three times as fast as I am.

775
00:40:24,540 --> 00:40:26,980
Yeah, yeah. By tracking my running
movements,

776
00:40:26,980 --> 00:40:29,620
John can see how they compare with
walking.

777
00:40:31,140 --> 00:40:34,660
So which causes the greatest impact
on my knees,

778
00:40:34,660 --> 00:40:36,100
running or walking?

779
00:40:36,100 --> 00:40:38,860
John has analysed the results.

780
00:40:38,860 --> 00:40:42,980
We have two lines here. This first
red graph shows the forces that your

781
00:40:42,980 --> 00:40:45,220
foot encountered when you were
running,

782
00:40:45,220 --> 00:40:47,300
and the blue one is when you're
walking.

783
00:40:47,300 --> 00:40:49,140
The forces from running were higher

784
00:40:49,140 --> 00:40:51,140
than the forces from when you were
walking,

785
00:40:51,140 --> 00:40:52,940
when you were going much
more slowly.

786
00:40:52,940 --> 00:40:54,820
So that one is nearly twice as big
as that one?

787
00:40:54,820 --> 00:40:57,500
Yes, it is. So that would in a
sense play into the hands

788
00:40:57,500 --> 00:41:00,660
of the theory that running causes a
lot of extra force and more damage.

789
00:41:00,660 --> 00:41:01,820
Yeah.

790
00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:06,420
As you might expect, at the moment
I hit the ground, the forces going

791
00:41:06,420 --> 00:41:10,460
through my knee are greater
when I run than when I walk.

792
00:41:10,460 --> 00:41:13,700
But John has also compared how much
time my knees

793
00:41:13,700 --> 00:41:15,460
experience that impact.

794
00:41:15,460 --> 00:41:18,500
What's really interesting is that
when you look at this a little

795
00:41:18,500 --> 00:41:21,500
bit more closely, you can see that
the length of time that your foot

796
00:41:21,500 --> 00:41:23,460
was experiencing force for

797
00:41:23,460 --> 00:41:26,380
was much longer than when you were
walking.

798
00:41:26,380 --> 00:41:30,020
We can actually see that the force
per metre, from running,

799
00:41:30,020 --> 00:41:31,700
was significantly lower,

800
00:41:31,700 --> 00:41:35,260
almost half the force from walking.

801
00:41:35,260 --> 00:41:38,140
OK, I find that very surprising, I
must admit.

802
00:41:38,140 --> 00:41:39,660
Mmm, it is, it's a big surprise,

803
00:41:39,660 --> 00:41:41,940
but it's a function of the speed
that you're going at,

804
00:41:41,940 --> 00:41:44,780
your stride length, and the shorter
period of time

805
00:41:44,780 --> 00:41:47,380
that your foot is in
contact with the ground.

806
00:41:47,380 --> 00:41:50,220
When I ran, my foot touched
the ground for less time

807
00:41:50,220 --> 00:41:52,700
and I made fewer steps in total.

808
00:41:52,700 --> 00:41:55,540
This means that, overall,
the force through my body

809
00:41:55,540 --> 00:41:59,620
was actually lower for running than
it was for walking.

810
00:41:59,620 --> 00:42:03,460
It's still the case that when I was
running, there was more sharp impact

811
00:42:03,460 --> 00:42:06,100
and, you know, if I punch you hard

812
00:42:06,100 --> 00:42:09,140
or I punch you more gently
but slower,

813
00:42:09,140 --> 00:42:12,860
you're still going to feel the hard
punch much more than the gentle one

814
00:42:12,860 --> 00:42:13,980
which goes on for a while.

815
00:42:13,980 --> 00:42:15,300
If we look at the peak force,

816
00:42:15,300 --> 00:42:17,060
that's actually quite acceptable
a force

817
00:42:17,060 --> 00:42:18,740
because it's the sort of force

818
00:42:18,740 --> 00:42:21,460
that the human body is designed to
experience.

819
00:42:21,460 --> 00:42:23,780
We are all designed to
both walk and to run.

820
00:42:23,780 --> 00:42:25,140
We had to run, you know,

821
00:42:25,140 --> 00:42:28,540
our ancestors had to run in order to
catch food or to avoid being prey.

822
00:42:28,540 --> 00:42:30,900
So running is a natural part of our
lives.

823
00:42:30,900 --> 00:42:33,780
So the type of force that we see is
not excessive.

824
00:42:35,900 --> 00:42:37,460
When it comes to our knees,

825
00:42:37,460 --> 00:42:40,380
John doesn't simply believe running
is harmless.

826
00:42:40,380 --> 00:42:42,980
He believes it might actually be
beneficial.

827
00:42:42,980 --> 00:42:46,940
Scientific studies suggest that the
regular impact from running

828
00:42:46,940 --> 00:42:50,420
repeatedly compresses and releases
the cartilage.

829
00:42:50,420 --> 00:42:53,420
Surprisingly, that's actually good
for the joint.

830
00:42:54,500 --> 00:42:57,700
One of the benefits is that
the regular impact from running,

831
00:42:57,700 --> 00:43:00,500
actually, are compressing and then
relaxing the cartilage.

832
00:43:00,500 --> 00:43:02,100
That's stimulating blood flow,

833
00:43:02,100 --> 00:43:05,060
it's bringing more oxygen and
nutrients to the cartilage,

834
00:43:05,060 --> 00:43:07,780
and of course that will help it to
both repair,

835
00:43:07,780 --> 00:43:09,500
and to grow and to develop.

836
00:43:09,500 --> 00:43:11,300
So not an excuse?
Not an excuse at all.

837
00:43:11,300 --> 00:43:13,460
Get your training shoes on and get
out for a run.

838
00:43:16,220 --> 00:43:20,460
New research shows that runners are
in fact less likely to suffer

839
00:43:20,460 --> 00:43:22,660
from arthritis than non-runners.

840
00:43:24,740 --> 00:43:26,900
So it would seem that in the long
term,

841
00:43:26,900 --> 00:43:29,180
running can be good for our joints.

842
00:43:30,820 --> 00:43:33,060
But I know all too well there
are plenty of other ways

843
00:43:33,060 --> 00:43:36,540
that you
can injure yourself while running.

844
00:43:36,540 --> 00:43:38,940
I managed to injure my knee
while running.

845
00:43:38,940 --> 00:43:42,260
I was going through a wood, I sort
of slid on something, twisted it,

846
00:43:42,260 --> 00:43:45,300
and it hasn't been the same since.
Injuries are an occupational hazard,

847
00:43:45,300 --> 00:43:47,700
they will always happen to anybody
in sport,

848
00:43:47,700 --> 00:43:49,820
particularly at higher risk
in running,

849
00:43:49,820 --> 00:43:51,980
when you're on an uneven or
slippery surface.

850
00:43:51,980 --> 00:43:54,820
But I think what we've seen today
is that the scientific evidence

851
00:43:54,820 --> 00:43:57,060
shows that, actually, running can be
good for you,

852
00:43:57,060 --> 00:43:59,620
particularly if you start off
slowly and build up gradually.

853
00:43:59,620 --> 00:44:02,300
A mistake that many people make is
to do too much, too soon.

854
00:44:02,300 --> 00:44:06,860
The most common cause of injury is
trying to run too far or too fast

855
00:44:06,860 --> 00:44:09,700
before your body has had a chance to
get used to it.

856
00:44:09,700 --> 00:44:11,500
So start with brisk walking,

857
00:44:11,500 --> 00:44:13,860
and build up distance and pace
gradually.

858
00:44:15,100 --> 00:44:17,540
If you are very overweight or have
an injury,

859
00:44:17,540 --> 00:44:20,580
then you might be better off doing
something like cycling or swimming.

860
00:44:20,580 --> 00:44:23,180
But for most of us, a small amount
of running

861
00:44:23,180 --> 00:44:25,580
can be good for our
health and our knees.

862
00:44:27,860 --> 00:44:30,100
So the claim that running, at least
in moderation,

863
00:44:30,100 --> 00:44:33,780
leads to wearing out of the joints
and possibly to arthritis,

864
00:44:33,780 --> 00:44:35,420
turns out to be false.

865
00:44:35,420 --> 00:44:39,220
Another excuse for not doing
exercise bites the dust.

866
00:44:42,500 --> 00:44:45,740
Most people exercise to improve
their health, lose a bit of weight,

867
00:44:45,740 --> 00:44:47,540
and tone their bodies.

868
00:44:47,540 --> 00:44:50,260
But some people, and they can be
very annoying,

869
00:44:50,260 --> 00:44:52,940
do exercise just because they love
it.

870
00:44:52,940 --> 00:44:58,460
New science is beginning to explain
why exercise can be so pleasurable.

871
00:44:58,460 --> 00:45:01,180
Many runners claim that when they go
for a run,

872
00:45:01,180 --> 00:45:03,060
they get this runner's high,

873
00:45:03,060 --> 00:45:06,260
the release in the brain of
feel-good chemicals,

874
00:45:06,260 --> 00:45:08,620
a bit like illegal drugs,

875
00:45:08,620 --> 00:45:10,380
which just makes them feel terrific.

876
00:45:10,380 --> 00:45:13,380
Now, I have never experienced
anything like that,

877
00:45:13,380 --> 00:45:15,300
so can it possibly be true?

878
00:45:16,300 --> 00:45:19,260
For a long time, it's been claimed
that the runner's high

879
00:45:19,260 --> 00:45:20,980
is the result of endorphins,

880
00:45:20,980 --> 00:45:24,420
something our bod produces
during exercise.

881
00:45:24,420 --> 00:45:27,380
But now, physiologist
Dr Saoirse O'Sullivan

882
00:45:27,380 --> 00:45:31,220
believes a different brain signal
may be responsible,

883
00:45:31,220 --> 00:45:34,260
one that is very similar to an
illegal drug.

884
00:45:34,260 --> 00:45:39,220
So I'm interested in a class of
chemicals called endocannabinoids.

885
00:45:39,220 --> 00:45:41,500
And these are presumably like
cannabis?

886
00:45:41,500 --> 00:45:45,980
So they're...they're similar in
structure to the main chemical

887
00:45:45,980 --> 00:45:48,980
that you find in cannabis, but we
make them in our own body.

888
00:45:48,980 --> 00:45:51,300
We're interested in whether or not
these chemicals

889
00:45:51,300 --> 00:45:53,940
might be part of the high.

890
00:45:53,940 --> 00:45:55,980
To find out, we're doing a brand-new
experiment

891
00:45:55,980 --> 00:45:58,540
with the help of some
runners in Nottingham.

892
00:45:58,540 --> 00:46:03,100
Saoirse is going to see if the level
of endocannabinoids in their blood

893
00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:06,300
increases after they've been for a
run.

894
00:46:06,300 --> 00:46:08,380
Has this been done before? It hasn't
been done

895
00:46:08,380 --> 00:46:10,980
in an outdoor setting before, so
there's been a couple of studies

896
00:46:10,980 --> 00:46:13,460
that have been done, but they were
in a laboratory setting,

897
00:46:13,460 --> 00:46:15,140
and they've actually got them to
exercise

898
00:46:15,140 --> 00:46:16,540
for quite a long period of time.

899
00:46:16,540 --> 00:46:20,940
We want to find out if you can get
an increase in endocannabinoids from

900
00:46:20,940 --> 00:46:26,180
the sort of easy short run that you
or I might do in the local park.

901
00:46:26,180 --> 00:46:28,340
I think it's probably time for you
lot to go off.

902
00:46:28,340 --> 00:46:31,820
I'll see you back here in about half
an hour. OK. OK. Enjoy.

903
00:46:31,820 --> 00:46:35,260
Good luck. You look as though you're
quite jealous.

904
00:46:35,260 --> 00:46:37,900
I am, really jealous. I'd like to be
doing that now.

905
00:46:37,900 --> 00:46:40,300
Whereas I absolutely wouldn't.

906
00:46:40,300 --> 00:46:45,100
The idea that cannabinoids might
increase during exercise is new.

907
00:46:45,100 --> 00:46:48,820
These natural brain chemicals were
discovered by accident

908
00:46:48,820 --> 00:46:53,220
when scientists were researching why
the drug cannabis makes us high.

909
00:46:53,220 --> 00:46:56,940
They first discovered that there is
a specific receptor in the bodies,

910
00:46:56,940 --> 00:47:00,860
so a protein found on the outside of
cells, to which the chemicals from

911
00:47:00,860 --> 00:47:04,820
cannabis combined and that's what
brings about their actions.

912
00:47:04,820 --> 00:47:07,900
And once they knew that we have this
in our brain,

913
00:47:07,900 --> 00:47:11,220
people started looking for, what do
we make in our body

914
00:47:11,220 --> 00:47:12,620
that binds to this?

915
00:47:12,620 --> 00:47:15,700
Because we don't have proteins and
receptors that bind to cannabis

916
00:47:15,700 --> 00:47:19,060
for no reason. We must make some
chemical in our body that also binds

917
00:47:19,060 --> 00:47:21,580
to them that might have similar
effects.

918
00:47:21,580 --> 00:47:23,260
And it was just a couple of years
later

919
00:47:23,260 --> 00:47:25,460
that they discovered the first
compound

920
00:47:25,460 --> 00:47:27,900
that they called anendocannabinoids.

921
00:47:27,900 --> 00:47:31,540
The image on the right is a
cannabinoid from cannabis,

922
00:47:31,540 --> 00:47:35,540
on the left is an endocannabinoid
we produce in our body.

923
00:47:35,540 --> 00:47:37,260
They're almost identical.

924
00:47:37,260 --> 00:47:39,460
They're structurally very similar.

925
00:47:39,460 --> 00:47:40,900
They're very similar compounds,

926
00:47:40,900 --> 00:47:43,620
have very similar pharmacological
properties.

927
00:47:43,620 --> 00:47:47,980
Both chemicals put out positive
emotions and increase appetite -

928
00:47:47,980 --> 00:47:51,140
sensations that people report after
they've been for a run.

929
00:47:52,460 --> 00:47:55,500
OK, whoa, slow down. Well done, how
are you feeling?

930
00:47:55,500 --> 00:47:57,860
Really good. Really exhilarated,
actually.

931
00:47:57,860 --> 00:48:00,900
I feel tingly, warm, light on my
feet.

932
00:48:00,900 --> 00:48:02,980
Good, alive, pumping.

933
00:48:04,220 --> 00:48:08,820
But is their euphoria due to a rise
in endocannabinoids?

934
00:48:08,820 --> 00:48:10,460
We are about to find out.

935
00:48:11,500 --> 00:48:14,340
Their blood samples are analysed.

936
00:48:14,340 --> 00:48:16,900
And the results are in.

937
00:48:16,900 --> 00:48:19,700
And what we found was, when you came
back from the run,

938
00:48:19,700 --> 00:48:24,380
you had 30% more endocannabinoids in
your blood than you did.

939
00:48:24,380 --> 00:48:27,620
So exercise seems to stimulate
across all of you

940
00:48:27,620 --> 00:48:30,780
a big increase of endocannabinoids
in your blood.

941
00:48:30,780 --> 00:48:32,900
Surprising? That's very surprising.

942
00:48:32,900 --> 00:48:35,300
That is surprising, isn't it?
That proves what I thought,

943
00:48:35,300 --> 00:48:36,900
to be honest with you. Yeah. Yeah.

944
00:48:36,900 --> 00:48:40,580
More of a runner's bliss than a
runner's high, maybe.

945
00:48:40,580 --> 00:48:45,260
So even a relatively short run can
bring chemical bliss.

946
00:48:45,260 --> 00:48:49,100
But why do people produce
endocannabinoids when they exercise?

947
00:48:49,100 --> 00:48:53,380
Saoirse believes it may be our
body's way of encouraging us

948
00:48:53,380 --> 00:48:56,100
to keep fit. Now we know exercise is
good for us,

949
00:48:56,100 --> 00:48:58,660
we know that we're fitter and
healthier.

950
00:48:58,660 --> 00:49:02,220
We're mentally and physically
healthier, we're more fertile,

951
00:49:02,220 --> 00:49:05,300
and there's lots of reasons why
exercise is good for us.

952
00:49:05,300 --> 00:49:08,940
So the body having a reward
mechanism for exercise would seem

953
00:49:08,940 --> 00:49:11,660
like a good evolutionary thing that,
you know,

954
00:49:11,660 --> 00:49:13,500
just makes us want do it more,

955
00:49:13,500 --> 00:49:15,740
and that makes us fitter and
stronger and happier.

956
00:49:15,740 --> 00:49:20,580
So how is getting, you know, a bliss
from doing exercise different to,

957
00:49:20,580 --> 00:49:23,260
for example, from smoking cannabis?

958
00:49:23,260 --> 00:49:25,100
So I think probably the big
difference

959
00:49:25,100 --> 00:49:26,700
is the amount
of these chemicals.

960
00:49:26,700 --> 00:49:29,300
So you've got a 30% increase.

961
00:49:29,300 --> 00:49:33,180
It caused a mood-altering effect
in you, it made you feel better.

962
00:49:33,180 --> 00:49:36,380
But if you were to smoke
a cannabis cigarette or joint,

963
00:49:36,380 --> 00:49:39,580
you would have a much, much bigger
increase and that can have a lot of

964
00:49:39,580 --> 00:49:42,740
negative impacts on some people
as well.

965
00:49:42,740 --> 00:49:47,220
Taking in too many cannabinoids
can overwhelm our system.

966
00:49:47,220 --> 00:49:50,060
But when our bodies produce
cannabinoids,

967
00:49:50,060 --> 00:49:52,780
it keeps them within safe limits.

968
00:49:52,780 --> 00:49:55,860
So we experience a high
without the downsides.

969
00:49:57,860 --> 00:50:00,820
Now, I have always been rather
cynical about the idea

970
00:50:00,820 --> 00:50:03,820
of a runner's high, having
never personally experienced it.

971
00:50:03,820 --> 00:50:06,620
But this new research really does
suggest there may be

972
00:50:06,620 --> 00:50:10,420
naturally occurring chemicals
that can help explain

973
00:50:10,420 --> 00:50:13,180
why some people
really love exercise.

974
00:50:18,540 --> 00:50:21,700
So far, we've been looking
at the science of how good

975
00:50:21,700 --> 00:50:25,060
exercise is for our bodies, but some
of the most exciting new research

976
00:50:25,060 --> 00:50:29,460
is looking at the impact
it can have on our brains.

977
00:50:31,100 --> 00:50:33,620
In this final test,

978
00:50:33,620 --> 00:50:35,900
I want to look at an exercise that
may be able to make us

979
00:50:35,900 --> 00:50:37,900
instantly cleverer.

980
00:50:38,860 --> 00:50:43,060
Now, there is plenty of evidence
that exercise is good for the brain

981
00:50:43,060 --> 00:50:45,580
but there is one particular activity

982
00:50:45,580 --> 00:50:48,220
which seems to be unusually
beneficial,

983
00:50:48,220 --> 00:50:50,100
and we're about to test it out.

984
00:50:50,100 --> 00:50:52,220
SALSA MUSIC

985
00:50:52,220 --> 00:50:55,980
I've come to Coventry University to
meet a team of scientists

986
00:50:55,980 --> 00:51:01,540
who want to test whether our brains
get an immediate boost from dancing.

987
00:51:03,820 --> 00:51:06,980
Cognitive scientist
Professor Michael Duncan is running

988
00:51:06,980 --> 00:51:08,780
the experiment.

989
00:51:12,340 --> 00:51:15,540
OK, I must admit it is a great deal
more fun seeing them doing this

990
00:51:15,540 --> 00:51:18,820
than being on a treadmill, or
something like that, but why dance?

991
00:51:18,820 --> 00:51:22,860
Dance is physically active
but it's also very co-ordinative.

992
00:51:22,860 --> 00:51:25,180
It has a cognitive element in order
to accomplish that.

993
00:51:25,180 --> 00:51:27,860
You have to use your brain,
basically, to remember the steps,

994
00:51:27,860 --> 00:51:30,580
and things like that. Yeah. So what
you're going to be measuring

995
00:51:30,580 --> 00:51:33,420
is the effect, if you like, of doing
a dance class on your brain.

996
00:51:33,420 --> 00:51:35,860
If we give somebody one session,

997
00:51:35,860 --> 00:51:38,860
does that produce an immediate
response?

998
00:51:38,860 --> 00:51:40,580
They're obviously enjoying
themselves.

999
00:51:40,580 --> 00:51:43,260
The question is, is it actually
making them in any sense smarter?

1000
00:51:43,260 --> 00:51:44,300
Yes.

1001
00:51:44,300 --> 00:51:46,660
SALSA MUSIC

1002
00:51:51,300 --> 00:51:54,420
Helping Mike with the experiment
is salsa instructor

1003
00:51:54,420 --> 00:51:58,460
and exercise scientist
Dr Pablo Domene.

1004
00:51:58,460 --> 00:52:01,940
He's invited his entire dance
class to the lab.

1005
00:52:01,940 --> 00:52:04,220
What keeps you coming back?

1006
00:52:04,220 --> 00:52:07,540
Like, the power, the atmosphere,
enjoyment that you come

1007
00:52:07,540 --> 00:52:09,060
and you don't want to finish.

1008
00:52:09,060 --> 00:52:10,820
Do you feel smarter afterwards?

1009
00:52:10,820 --> 00:52:13,060
I'm not sure about smarter.

1010
00:52:13,060 --> 00:52:17,140
You have a much better spatial
awareness and much better reflexes.

1011
00:52:17,140 --> 00:52:19,940
These dancers will do some
mental tests before and after

1012
00:52:19,940 --> 00:52:23,780
a dance session to see if there's
any change in performance.

1013
00:52:25,500 --> 00:52:28,340
So, we've got one
which looks at decision-making

1014
00:52:28,340 --> 00:52:31,100
and ability to avoid distractions.

1015
00:52:31,100 --> 00:52:34,580
We've got another one that
looks at working memory

1016
00:52:34,580 --> 00:52:37,300
and can you recognise patterns,
and we have another one

1017
00:52:37,300 --> 00:52:39,660
that looks at, can you anticipate
moving objects?

1018
00:52:39,660 --> 00:52:41,900
So it's basically being able to
anticipate something

1019
00:52:41,900 --> 00:52:43,540
in space and time, if you like?

1020
00:52:43,540 --> 00:52:48,420
It has wide application in a whole
range of different parts of life.

1021
00:52:48,420 --> 00:52:54,260
The test assesses skills we use
every day - decision-making, memory,

1022
00:52:54,260 --> 00:52:58,540
and our ability to judge how fast
things are moving through space.

1023
00:52:58,540 --> 00:53:01,620
Now the volunteers have
had their brains assessed,

1024
00:53:01,620 --> 00:53:03,460
it's time to test their feet.

1025
00:53:08,740 --> 00:53:13,380
As the class progresses, the music
gets faster, and so do the moves.

1026
00:53:13,380 --> 00:53:14,420
Con brazos!

1027
00:53:16,420 --> 00:53:18,660
Everyone is building up a sweat.

1028
00:53:18,660 --> 00:53:20,700
Salsa basica.

1029
00:53:20,700 --> 00:53:23,860
After 30 minutes of
high-paced salsa...

1030
00:53:23,860 --> 00:53:27,540
..it's time for everyone
to repeat the mental test.

1031
00:53:27,540 --> 00:53:30,260
So, did the dance class
make any difference?

1032
00:53:32,060 --> 00:53:33,540
Mike has the results.

1033
00:53:35,340 --> 00:53:37,340
The anticipation timing task,

1034
00:53:37,340 --> 00:53:40,780
which looks at the perception
and cognition together,

1035
00:53:40,780 --> 00:53:44,900
we found an 8% improvement
pre to post for the whole group.

1036
00:53:44,900 --> 00:53:46,740
Pretty good? Yeah, pretty good.

1037
00:53:46,740 --> 00:53:48,700
For the visual discrimination test,

1038
00:53:48,700 --> 00:53:52,500
where we're looking at can you focus
and avoid being distracted,

1039
00:53:52,500 --> 00:53:57,500
we saw a 13% improvement which,
again... I could do with that.

1040
00:53:57,500 --> 00:54:00,340
I find I get distracted by all
sorts of things when I'm at work.

1041
00:54:00,340 --> 00:54:04,180
So, yeah. The test that's probably
more surprising to me

1042
00:54:04,180 --> 00:54:07,220
and the biggest change is the one
that looked at working memory,

1043
00:54:07,220 --> 00:54:10,700
where we found an 18% improvement
in that particular test.

1044
00:54:12,220 --> 00:54:14,060
Working memory is our ability

1045
00:54:14,060 --> 00:54:17,540
to hold different
bits of information in our heads

1046
00:54:17,540 --> 00:54:19,740
and use it to get the job done,

1047
00:54:19,740 --> 00:54:22,980
anything from following a recipe
to holding a conversation.

1048
00:54:26,140 --> 00:54:29,180
And Mike has never seen a result
like this for any other type

1049
00:54:29,180 --> 00:54:32,420
of activity,
including running and cycling.

1050
00:54:33,620 --> 00:54:36,060
It's so amazing to see the results
because I just think

1051
00:54:36,060 --> 00:54:37,340
I just shake, shake, shake.

1052
00:54:37,340 --> 00:54:39,660
But actually, to know,
wow, I'm getting smarter!

1053
00:54:39,660 --> 00:54:42,940
I think cognition, the ability
to repeat something, I think

1054
00:54:42,940 --> 00:54:45,180
it is a great asset at work.

1055
00:54:46,420 --> 00:54:48,300
So, what's special about dancing?

1056
00:54:49,620 --> 00:54:53,100
Most types of exercise
will have a positive effect

1057
00:54:53,100 --> 00:54:54,980
on cognitive performance.

1058
00:54:54,980 --> 00:54:58,540
With something like salsa dance,
you have to think about these steps,

1059
00:54:58,540 --> 00:55:00,900
you have to think about the pattern,
you have to think about

1060
00:55:00,900 --> 00:55:02,540
staying in time with the music,

1061
00:55:02,540 --> 00:55:07,300
so that actually requires a lot
of cognitive manipulation

1062
00:55:07,300 --> 00:55:09,380
while the dance is going on,

1063
00:55:09,380 --> 00:55:13,180
while you are also physically
exerting yourself.

1064
00:55:14,540 --> 00:55:16,300
One reason people say they don't do
exercise

1065
00:55:16,300 --> 00:55:17,940
is because they ain't got time,

1066
00:55:17,940 --> 00:55:20,740
but presumably this would
suggest that if you put...

1067
00:55:20,740 --> 00:55:24,420
find a bit of time to do a bit
of dancing, then you might become

1068
00:55:24,420 --> 00:55:28,020
a bit more productive and therefore
you might get more out of your day.

1069
00:55:28,020 --> 00:55:31,700
You become more effective
in your use of existing time.

1070
00:55:33,220 --> 00:55:35,300
So, dance, it's like that.

1071
00:55:36,580 --> 00:55:38,620
Snap. Snap, snap. OK.

1072
00:55:38,620 --> 00:55:41,660
One, two. One, two.

1073
00:55:43,300 --> 00:55:47,940
Exercise really can make us quicker.
And perhaps cleverer.

1074
00:55:47,940 --> 00:55:49,580
And current research suggests

1075
00:55:49,580 --> 00:55:52,820
that dancing could be the best
exercise of all

1076
00:55:52,820 --> 00:55:55,220
to get maximum brain benefits.

1077
00:55:56,500 --> 00:56:01,140
Focus! Five, six, seven, eight.
One, two, three. And shimmy!

1078
00:56:05,260 --> 00:56:07,100
No, that's really good,
that's really good.

1079
00:56:09,700 --> 00:56:11,300
Whoo!

1080
00:56:13,340 --> 00:56:15,180
I've come to the end of my search

1081
00:56:15,180 --> 00:56:18,460
into the most effective
ways to get fit.

1082
00:56:18,460 --> 00:56:21,260
I've been really impressed
at the scientific breakthroughs

1083
00:56:21,260 --> 00:56:25,500
that are helping us to understand
exactly how exercise gives us

1084
00:56:25,500 --> 00:56:28,860
all these wonderful benefits,
and this new knowledge means

1085
00:56:28,860 --> 00:56:33,060
we can be more targeted when
choosing the right activity for us.

1086
00:56:38,940 --> 00:56:41,500
So, what have I learnt
about getting fit?

1087
00:56:41,500 --> 00:56:45,660
If lack of time is your problem,
then the intensity is the way to go.

1088
00:56:45,660 --> 00:56:49,500
Brisk walks, some Hiit
and also some weight training.

1089
00:56:49,500 --> 00:56:51,940
I'm never going to love
doing exercise,

1090
00:56:51,940 --> 00:56:54,060
but at least I now know
how to do it properly

1091
00:56:54,060 --> 00:56:57,820
and how to get the maximum
benefit for the minimum effort.