Seen At 11: Could This One-Minute Workout Be Just As Effective As 45 Minutes Of Moderate Activity?

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)-- What does it really take to get in shape? Some experts are claiming all you need is one minute.

CBS2 reporter and workout devotee Alice Gainer put the 60-second regimen to the test.

The one all-out, high-intensity minute includes jumping lunges, burpees, and standing jumps with knees up, each for 20 seconds. It might not sound like a lot exercise-wise, but a new study suggests this type of brief workout may really be the new key to fitness.

So, is it as easy as walking into a room and performing the exercise for a minute and calling it a day?

"You always want to do a warm-up. You wanna do a cool-down. No one is suggesting you should only do one minute of workout every day," Ben Wegman of the Fhitting Room said.

But new information revealed that one intense minute within a 10-minute program could yield the same results as 45 minutes of moderate effort in terms of aerobic fitness and other physical benefits.

Gainer gave the minute workout her best shot and it got her wondering -- what are the benefits of doing it?

"Essentially the harder that you work in these short bursts of activity, the more oxygen you're going to consume throughout the day. That means you're going to burn calories throughout the day as well," Wegman said.

Other experts caution not to get too excited at the prospect.

"Somebody that really thinks they're going to do one minute, and all of a sudden change the shape of their body and be a new a person, it's not going to happen. I wish it did," exercise psychologist Scott Weiss said.

In spite of the intensity of the brief workout, Weiss is not convinced that 60 seconds are what you need for total fitness.

"I don't think it's going to push people over plateaus that they necessarily need to break. It's not going to retrain new parts of the body," he said.

However, Dr. Weiss and Wegman do agree on one thing: it's best to just get moving.

"I think it's about preference. Honestly, I think it's about do I have the time in my day and what am I looking to achieve?" Wegman said. "That's an all-out minute."

Experts add that you can create intervals in almost any workout or situation like walking up stairs, taking two at a time, pushing a stroller, or going at full speed for a block. They warn not to go all out if it's something you haven't done before. Work hard, but within what's comfortable for you.