Content with getting just 30 minutes of exercise a day? Yeah, I bet you are -- half an hour is not a lot of time to set aside for a workout. And you could get away with it and still call your lifestyle healthy -- until now, that is. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has decided that 30 minutes usually just isn't enough anymore -- you should be thinking more like 50 minutes a session now.

In 2001, it was recommended that everyone get 150 minutes of exercise a week -- so, 30 minutes a day for five days -- to maintain a healthy weight. Nowadays, that number is more like 300 minutes a week, and if you're working out five days a week, that's 40 to 60 minutes a session.

Additionally, the ACSM also recommends a healthy diet and regular resistance training. "Resistance training does not enhance weight loss but may increase fat-free mass and increase loss of fat mass and is associated with reductions in health risk," the writing committee notes.

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I've got to share this workout with you this morning because I just completed it, and it was great. It took only 30 minutes, it was fast-paced, and I was drenched in sweat by the end. My kind of workout -- productive yet short enough that I was off my home treadmill and refereeing little boy fights in short order.

Thanks to my sister, the source of all my challenging treadmill workouts, for passing this on, so I can pass on to you this almost three-mile journey.

• Walk 5 minutes to warm up (pick your speed -- I walked at 4.5 mph)

Complete the following series five times.

• Walk 1 minute at 4 mph
• Run 1 minute at 6 mph
• Run 1 minute at 6.5 mph
• Run 1 minute at 7 mph
• Run 1 minute at 7.5 mph
  

Try it -- I'm counting on you, Bev -- and tell us what you think.

Last week, on Fit Factor, I told you how to speed up your workout without compromising results. But this week I'm going to talk about something entirely different -- slowing it down. I'm not talking about slowing down you're usual run to a jog or a walk, and I'm not talking about going to slowly at the gym that you end up spending twice the amount of time there -- rather, I'm talking about the Slow Burn workout.

In fact, some feel the slow burn isn't so much a workout as it is a revolution. There's a book, even, called the Slow Burn Fitness Revolution. So, is it truly a revolution? Or a fad? What does it entail?

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Years ago, I used to make myself feel better about eating a gallon of ice cream by saying, 'Well, I worked out for two hours today ... ' Thing is, that two hour workout was not what you'd call difficult. In fact, I probably barely even broke a sweat. Still, for me, quantity was better than quality, hence me padding a few extra pounds over the years.

I think you know where I'm going with this one. Working out longer only does you any good if you work hard. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time. It's important to make sure your workout is effective, and no surprise here -- the more effective your workout, the less time you actually have to do it.

Still, with all these super-quick workouts popping up, either at the gym or in DVD format, I have to wonder -- can you really only commit 20 to 30 minutes a day and see major results?

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