The invention provides a method and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus where cyclic image data acquisition is performed while the patient is continuously moved through the imaging volume provided by the magnetic field. The volume to be imaged is subdivided into sub-volumes. Image data acquisitions are sequentially performed for the sub-volumes. The data acquisition for a given sub-volume is performed by true three-dimensional imaging or by a multi slice imaging method where the sub-volume contains a stack of two-dimensional slices. The sub-volume for which image data acquisition is performed is moved through the magnetic field together with the patient. When the image data acquisition for the sub-volume has been completed, the next image data acquisition starts for the subsequent sub-volume.