Got 2.5 minutes? Try burning 200 calories

Forget hitting the gym for hours on end in the hope of shedding those few extra pounds. Researchers have found that all it takes is two and a half minutes of intense exercise to burn off an extra 200 calories. Interval training involves periods of intense exercise followed by longer periods of rest, and a new study reveals that people who pedaled on a stationary bike as hard as they could for 30 seconds and followed it with four minutes of rest, worked off an extra 200 calories in their routines. While five 30-second periods and four four-minute rests still adds up to almost 20 minutes at the gym, the study shows the workout keeps your body in a calorie-burning state longer after you've stopped. [Source]

Click to see more on msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.