Time-Saving Exercise Habits Starting from 1 Minute a Day [Morning Activity Burpee Research Journal] #179

Morning Activity Burpee Research Journal (2026/2/17)

Session Overview

• Set Name：1-Minute Burpee (Normal Operation | Arm Band Measurement | No Push-ups)

• Reps：22 reps (First half 11 / Second half 11) / Second half maintenance rate=100% / Initial movement: 4 reps/10s (2.50 s/rep)

• Heart Rate：Start 68 → 30 seconds 73 → End 141 / Average 106, Max 141 / HRR60=51 / RPE=8.0

• 60-second average tempo：60÷22＝2.73 s/rep / ΔHR30=+5 bpm (68 → 73)

Physical Sensation Notes

I still had some fatigue remaining today.

That's why I did 1 minute without push-ups.

The result was 22 reps.

・Max heart rate: 141
・Recovery heart rate (60 seconds): 51
・Aerobic zone (HRR 80% or higher): 0 seconds
・Anaerobic zone (HRR 90% or higher): 0 seconds

My heart rate was stable.
But it was tougher than I thought.

The reason is clear.
Because my legs couldn't rest.

Until now, in the flow of
Jump → High Plank → Push-up,
a “moment of recovery” was unconsciously created for my legs.

But when you remove the push-ups,
the jumping movements become continuous.

My quadriceps don't get a break.

Thinking back,
at first it was a 20-second → 10-second Tabata style.
I have almost never done leg-focused burpees
non-stop for 1 minute.

Even with the same “burpee,”
if the composition changes, the quality of the load changes too.

No-push-up was intended for the sake of my shoulders.
But as a byproduct,
a stimulus to leg endurance has emerged.

This was an accidental discovery.

A fatigue management day.
But at the same time,
a day I found a new training axis.

Burpees are not just one type of exercise.
If you break them down,
there is still plenty of room for research.

Today was a minute where I learned how to attack while playing defense.

What is VILPA? Short-duration high-intensity exercise

VILPA (Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity) refers to short-duration (30–120 seconds) "breathless" exercise that you incorporate into daily movement or chores. Actions like running up stairs, jogging through a train station, or walking quickly while carrying heavy luggage qualify as VILPA. In recent years, research using wearable accelerometers has progressed, and it has been reported that
even extremely short bursts of high intensity are associated with reduced health risks if accumulated. Note 1

Today's Evaluation (Key Points)

• Pacing ◎ (11→11): Even with fatigue, I was able to maintain a constant speed while avoiding form breakdown.

• "Heart rate not rising = bad" is not necessarily true: With arm-band measurement and no push-ups, heart rate and metabolic stress tend to appear lower even with the same number of reps. Today was a successful day prioritizing movement reproducibility

Metabolic Load Score

Standard: Karvonen (HRmax=182, HRrest=50, HRR=132)

Simplified Metabolic Load (HR-TRIMP60) = 25.45 / 60
[████████░░░░░░░░░░░░] 42%

Z4 Time (T80=0s)
[░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 0%

Z5 Time (T90=0s)
[░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 0%

• Z-Load (Weighted Zone Seconds): 0 seconds (= 0 + 2×0 → 0%/60s)

• ΔHR30: +5 bpm (68 → 73)

• Cost/rep (Karvonen): 1.16 (=(( 106−50)/132)×(60/22)) )

Estimated Energy (Roughly)

PCr 3% / Glycolytic 12% / Aerobic 85% … The rep count is there, but the heart rate response is modest, making it aerobic-dominant. Given the conditions of using an arm band and no push-ups, today was ideal not as a "metabolism-boosting day" but as a "steady-pace day."

Energy estimation: PCr 3% / Glycolytic 12% / Aerobic 85% / Cost/rep (Karvonen): 1.16

Those with no time should try 1-minute bodyweight exercises

Due to the nature of my work, I travel often, and many people find it difficult to secure a block of time for training.

Even with "just 1 minute of exercise," you can create time to feel changes in your body. Burpees require no equipment or space. That is why you can do them in a hotel room. By facing your own body for "1 minute in the morning," it becomes a habit that allows you to

start your day positively.

I explain the detailed method for burpees in this article. You will learn how to do burpees in a time-saving way that you can continue even if you are not good at exercise.
»
Benefits gained from a burpee habit5 benefits! [Secrets to time-saving exercise]

References
»Note1) Nature Medicine (2022): VILPA (accelerometer) and its association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality