Here’s how one can get slot in 20 second bursts making cuppa or going to the john

Folk can get fit in 20 second bursts, boffins say.

Gruelling trips to the gym may be unnecessary after researchers found bursts of walking ranging between 10 and 30 seconds, with breaks in between, were highly effective.

Participants burned 60% more energy than covering the same distance in one go.

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It means that tea and toilet breaks at work and home could boost our fitness far more than previously thought.

Study lead Dr Francesco Luciano, of Milan University, said: “Breaking up sedentary time with brief strolls can greatly increase energy expended daily and improve health.”

The boffs measured how much oxygen people consumed while walking on a treadmill or going up stairs.

Volunteers walked or climbed for different amounts of time, including short stints of either 10 or 30 seconds, or longer periods of up to four minutes.

Dr Luciano said: “We found that walking in shorter bouts requires more energy and more oxygen, to cover the same distance, compared to covering it continuously.

“It’s like a car using more fuel during the first few kilometres.”

While the walking method would be unlikely to be a hit with long distance hikers, it could be vital for people working in the office or from home who end up sitting for long periods of time.

Dr Luciano added: “Instead the message pertains to our daily lives – whenever possible we should break up periods of sitting by taking a few steps.”

More studies are revealing the benefits of short bursts of exercise such as high intensity interval training, also known as Hiit.

Harvard researchers say it is “linked to multiple health benefits” and can “reduce the risk of dementia”.

Professor Barry Giesbrecht from UC Santa Barbara, who led another study, said: “We found that vigorous activities had the largest effects.

“And the effects of exercise less than 30 minutes in duration were bigger than those that went beyond 30 minutes.”