The Tabata--a "Fitness Miracle"

At one of my classes a few weeks ago, the instructor put us through a four minute segment of high-intensity interval training, which is also known by it's acronym-- HIIT.  Another name for it is a Tabata--named for the Japanese scientist that proved that this interval training method is as effective as 60 whole minutes of moderate exercise on a treadmill.  The Tabata involves doing one or more moves at high intensity for 20 second intervals, and then taking a 10 second break.  Repeat the whole process for 4 minutes, and voila! a whole hour's worth of moderate exercise in 4 minutes. You can pick whatever move you want, or you can do multiple moves. The catch (and there always is one--there's no such thing as a catch-free short-cut in fitness and weight loss!), is that you have to be working at very high intensity and literally empty your tank by the last interval.  If you're not gasping for breath and begging for salvation by the end of it, you're doing it wrong.  And, of course, you've got to time the intervals exactly, or you will likely end up doing shorter intervals than you need to. Luckily, there are Tabata "songs" available on online music stores that provide audio signals for when the intervals begin and end. Some even come complete with motivating shouts from coaches.