Interval training instead of long cardio sessions?

Anyone who knows me would know my answer to this question.
Especially when it comes to the answer applying to time strapped mamas or women who aren't in the 'ladies who lunch crowd" (i.e. all of my clients!).

Sharry, a mama and one of my clients who has successful shrunk her body through interval training and no long cardio sessions, pointed me to an article in the Globe that supports my general approach to post natal and really any type of training.

Here's the link:
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/moms-drop-pounds-with-a-four-minute-workout/article1419091/?service=mobile&page=0#article

The article explains a specific type of interval training out of Japan used for elite athlete's, Tabata training.

Here's a quick excerpt:

"Tabata training is effective, despite its brevity, because the body continues to burn calories at a high rate during the recovery period, says Martin Gibala, chair of the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton.

In a study published last year in the Journal of Physiology, Prof. Gibala and his research team found that participants who did high-intensity interval training for just 1½ hours total each week enjoyed the same physical benefits as those who did 4½ hours of endurance training on a stationary bike. Both groups had similar levels of muscle development and lipid oxidation (which improves endurance and reduces the risk of developing obesity and diabetes).

"You can get away with less time and see many of the same adaptations we associate with endurance training," Prof. Gibala says.

He adds that Tabata can actually develop muscles in a way that isn't always possible with endurance training. "We have these very large, powerful muscle fibres, but there are some that don't get called upon in our daily lives even when we do moderate exercise. They respond and adapt during interval training," he says."

Thanks Sharry for keeping me plugged in!

Jane