A healthy alternative is interval training. Going by the rather formidable term ‘Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion’ or simple PACE, this means engaging in very short bursts of intense exercise followed by a very short period of rest and recovery.

Choose an exercise that suits you - like jogging, spot running, skipping or using an exercise bike. Engage in a short, intense burst of exercise lasting for no more than 30 seconds, then stop and rest for two minutes. Repeat this four times and you’re done exercising for the day - in eight minutes flat!

Now repeat this three to four times a week and not only will you lose weight, you will feel revitalized, rejuvenated and invigorated with an enhanced cardiovascular capacity, and lean and strong muscles, among many other health benefits.

How does interval training or PACE work at the physiological level? Why doesn’t it cause the same devastating effects as aerobic exercise?

When you exercise in short bursts, your body burns carbohydrates in the form of stored glycogen stored in the muscles and liver. It doesn’t burn fat during the session. After each session, it starts burning fat to replenish the depleted glycogen from your muscles and liver which were used during your training session.

Your body then continues to metabolize and burn fat for the next 24 hours after your interval training session. Your body thus learns that it does not have to store fat only to burn it again during a rigorous workout but that it must slowly burn fat to replenish depleted glycogen reserves. This is called afterburn, a magical and automatic process you can in motion by simply tweaking the type of exercise!

And in case it didn’t strike you - do the math and you’ll realize you need to exercise for quite literally less than 10 minutes a day! How’s that for people who are pressed for time?