"Not having enough time" need not be an excuse for not exercising, Canadian researchers have suggested.

It was found by researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton that short interval training sessions of 20-25 minutes per session, at about 95 percent of maximal heart rate, on a stationary bicycle had the same benefits previously observed for traditional, long-duration endurance training.

These benefits included improved performance and muscular adaptations linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and other diseases.

The study involved six training sessions during a 14-day period. The sessions included eight to 12 1-minute bouts of exercise with rest intervals of 75 seconds.

Martin Gibala said in a statement, "What we've been able to show is that interval training does not have to be 'all out' in order to be effective and time-efficient. While still a very demanding form of training, the exercise might be more achievable by the general public, not just elite athletes and it certainly doesn't require the use of specialized laboratory equipment."

It was further explained by Gibala there is a trade-off between time and intensity.

Gibala said, "There is no free lunch; duration must increase as intensity decreases." (With Inputs from Agencies)