The important fitness trick you are not doing

Picking up the pace during your exercise routine could make a big difference.

Running outdoors

Scientists have known for years that by including short, higher-effort intervals (e.g., running faster for 30 seconds every three to five minutes) followed by recovery (i.e., going back to your normal speed), you’ll improve key physical-fitness levels.

Only recently, however, have they found that these short intervals help release insulin far better than slow, steady exercise.

Basically, think of miracle intervals as helping “train” your insulin receptors. These receptors tell your muscles to burn glucose and use it as energy rather than store it as fat.

Doing miracle intervals is easier than you think. Mike Berland, author of Become a Fat-Burning Machine: The 12-Week Diet recommends short bursts of activity followed by long periods of recovery when doing cardio exercise. In the beginning, the intervals will typically last for 10 to 30 seconds and are done during just one cardio session per week.

As you progress, those intervals intensify — you breathe harder, to the point where it’s difficult to carry a conversation — and are performed during three and, eventually, four weekly cardio sessions.

“Insulin kicks into high gear not when you’re speeding up or maintaining a high speed — [but] when you are slowing down,” explains Berland.

Coupled with a low-carb diet, your body will become more efficient at burning fat. “Endurance athletes use this technique,” says Berland. “It allows you to exercise faster and longer. It’s the most incredible thing.”

This article originally appeared on The New York Post.