The four-minute, high-intensity training session can increase your aerobic and anaerobic capacity and speed up the metabolism, helping you burn more fat and make you look 200 per cent leaner than a traditional 60-minute aerobic workout.  Known as the closest thing we have to a fitness miracle, the HIT workout is loved by researchers and fitness pros alike for its fat-torching abilities and simplicity.  Celeb fans include Jessica Biel and Cameron Diaz.  HIT workouts are not easy, but are appealing to time-starved mums, working women and anyone juggling a hectic life.  Sun fitness expert Nicki Waterman says: “My advice is to combine your plan with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise like fast walking, jogging, swimming, cycling or dancing, for example, to get the maximum effect.  “To do a HIT, simply pick an exercise and set a timer for 20 seconds on and ten seconds rest.  “Do the exercise as hard as you possibly can for 20 seconds and then rest for ten, repeating eight to 20 times in total. And remember, you have to work to 100 per cent maximum intensity. By the end of the four minutes you should feel like you’ve done a full workout and have nothing else to give.”  Check out my favourites to get you started for one week.  But please check with your doctor before starting this exercise programme. And always warm up and cool down for at least five minutes before and after each HIT session.  CARDIO and coordination all in one. Take a skipping rope and jump as fast as you can, using whichever foot pattern you like.  Options include both feet together, high knees, the “boxer shuffle” with heels in front, alternating feet, and butt-kickers.  Tip: Make sure your rope is long enough before you start – nothing ruins a good HIT workout like getting whipped across your calves.  To check for proper length, stand in the centre of your rope and pull the handles straight up. They should come at least as high as your armpits.  You already know and love (to hate?) lunges for their butt-blasting ability. Add a jump in between alternating legs to up the difficulty and cardio factor.  Start by stepping your right foot forward into a deep lunge, until your leg is parallel with the ground. Then jump, bringing your back (left) foot forward and landing in a lunge.  Tip: You can step through each lunge if jumping gets too hard.  Find a weight bench, or a step that hits somewhere between your shins and your knees.  Stand in front of it and jump on top of the bench/step with both feet together.  Jump back to the floor, again with both feet together. Try not to rest when you land and jump right back up again.  If this is too difficult, you can do step-ups onto the box instead.  Make a triangle with your hands and feet on the floor with your butt up in the air. Bring one leg towards your chest. Keeping hands on the ground, jump to switch your legs.  Tip: Just quickly touch each toe down so you’re not resting by putting whole foot down.  These are similar to a traditional squat but instead of stopping when your thighs are parallel to the ground, you continue down, dropping your butt towards your heels until your fingertips brush the ground.  Going through the full range of motion gets your heart rate up faster and engages more muscles.  Tip: Don’t be afraid – contrary to popular belief, researchers now say that for healthy people, squatting to the ground won’t hurt your knees.  Bikes are perfect for engaging your whole lower body and really getting your heart rate up for those 20 seconds.  Tip: It’s a little easier to time and to rest on a stationary bike – you can just take your feet off the pedals for ten seconds rather than trying to start and stop/coast on the road.  SUN nutritionist Amanda Ursell says: “If your aim is to lose weight, then you need to combine your workout with a style of eating that provides energy to exercise, yet cuts empty calories that are keeping your body mass index high.  “Timing of your meals and snacks is especially important because your body needs fuel to cope with the HIT workout before you start and, once you have finished, to allow your muscles to recover and be ready for the next hard session.  “Here’s how to eat to lose weight but keep your body healthy and able to cope with the HIT plan over the coming week.”  Before you train: Whether you train before breakfast, before lunch or at the end of the day before dinner, have something like a handful of raisins, a banana or even a small smoothie an hour to 30 minutes before you start.  During training: Drink “to thirst”. This simply means have a drink when you feel the need and stop once you no longer feel thirsty.  After training: Have your meal whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner within half an hour of finishing. If you can’t manage this, have another small snack like some dried fruit or a cereal bar.  Breakfast: This is not the week to skip breakfast, however rushed your daily schedule.  If you are training early, have breakfast once you have finished. If not, make time to have it before you leave the house.  Have a breakfast of porridge made with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk with some dried fruit such as chopped apricots; a wholegrain cereal such as Oatibix or Weetabix or a fruit salad which includes a banana with some zero per cent fat Total Greek yoghurt and a handful of sunflower seeds.  Alternatively, have two poached or boiled eggs with two pieces of toast and a glass of orange or apple juice.  Have a glass of water and your usual cup of tea or coffee using skimmed milk.  Mid-morning: Have a handful of nuts such as almonds, cashews, pistachios or Brazil nuts with an apple, orange or a pear and a glass of water.  Lunch: Build your lunch around an average-sized portion of carbohydrate foods that give you a steady supply of energy. These include pitta breads, tortilla wraps, bread, pasta, noodles, or a baked potato.  To these add some protein-rich food such as tuna, chicken, turkey, lean slices of roast beef, hard-boiled eggs, prawns, cottage or ricotta cheese, pulses such as baked beans, peas or lentils, tofu or Quorn products.  Have some veg with these such as tomato and cucumber in a sandwich, lettuce and spring onions in a wrap or pitta or salad with a baked potato and baked beans. Always have some water with your lunch.  Mid-afternoon: A couple of oat cakes with some cottage or ricotta cheese and berries; a slice of peanut butter on toast; an apple with a small matchbox-size piece of reduced-fat Cheddar or a handful of mixed nuts and raisins.  Dinner: As with lunchtime, dinner needs to be a mix of an average-size serving of carbohydrate-based foods such as new boiled potatoes, pasta, rice or noodles.  To these add some protein-rich foods such as lean red meat – lean mince, a lean pork chop or lean roast lamb; Turkey, chicken or ham; grilled, baked or canned fish; tofu, Quorn mince or “chicken” pieces, pulses such as baked beans.  Also add some vegetables. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, onions – whichever you enjoy and find easy to prepare.
DOING as little as four minutes – or one 'HIT' – can be better for you than an hour’s slog. See how here