We all know that exercise is good for us. Not only does regular exercise help us to stay in shape, avoid injury, maintain a healthy weight, and prolong our lives, it is also linked to a reduced risk of almost every modern disease.
So why do so few of us get enough of it?
While there are many factors that contribute to our lack of exercise as a society, one of the main reasons is that we're just so darned *busy.* With dozens of demands on our time every day, we tend to prioritize the things that are urgent and the things that we enjoy the most - neither of which applies to exercise for most people.
With a full-time job, family responsibilities, social activities, and hobbies to juggle, going to the gym for an hour or so 3-4 times per week is often at the bottom of the priorities list. This is bad news for our health as a nation, and we can see the results in our worsening health and increasing waistlines.
The good news is, getting enough exercise to stay healthy may take a lot less time than you think...
According to scientific studies, researchers have discovered that as little as 30 minutes of exercise per week may improve health and longevity rather significantly.
BUT - it all depends on the type of exercise you're doing...
So why do so few of us get enough of it?
While there are many factors that contribute to our lack of exercise as a society, one of the main reasons is that we're just so darned *busy.* With dozens of demands on our time every day, we tend to prioritize the things that are urgent and the things that we enjoy the most - neither of which applies to exercise for most people.
With a full-time job, family responsibilities, social activities, and hobbies to juggle, going to the gym for an hour or so 3-4 times per week is often at the bottom of the priorities list. This is bad news for our health as a nation, and we can see the results in our worsening health and increasing waistlines.
The good news is, getting enough exercise to stay healthy may take a lot less time than you think...
According to scientific studies, researchers have discovered that as little as 30 minutes of exercise per week may improve health and longevity rather significantly.
BUT - it all depends on the type of exercise you're doing...
Those of us who are older than 35 have likely all experienced the little changes that come with getting older. It's harder to recover from an injury than when we were younger. Our bodies seem to have more aches and pains. Things that use to be quite easy for us (getting up and down off the floor, climbing stairs, bending and reaching) now take a bit more effort.
However, while getting older is inevitable, its physical consequences don't have to be - or at least, they can be slowed (or even reversed), according to research on exercise and its anti-aging effects.
As reported in a recent article on Inc.com, a recent study followed four groups of generally healthy but previously sedentary men and women (divided into two age groups - half below age 30, the other half over age 64) for 12 weeks as they participated in different exercise programs. One group did no exercise at all, one alternated between riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes and lifting light weights on different days, one group did heavy weight training, and the fourth group did high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a stationary bike only - pedaling all-out for 4 minutes, resting for 3, and then repeating 3 more times.
All groups except the control group (no surprise there, but that's what control groups are for) made improvements in their overall fitness. Those who lifted weights experienced an increase in physical strength and muscle mass, with those lifting heavier weights showing a greater difference (also no surprise). Those who rode the stationary bikes showed improvements in cardiovascular fitness, and those who participated in the interval training also had increased stamina and endurance.
However, here's where it gets interesting... The group that did the high-intensity interval workouts not only experienced increased physical endurance, but based on testing a sampling of biopsied muscle cells, their cells actually acted younger! AND this difference was especially pronounced among the older participants.
This result was not found in any of the other exercise groups.
According to the lead researcher on the study, "It seems as if the decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging was 'corrected' with exercise, especially if it was intense. In fact, older people's cells responded more robustly to intense exercise than the cells of the young."
So what does this all mean for you?
Basically, exercising has benefits for your health, no matter what kind of exercise you do. But if you want to turn back the clock and build healthier, younger cells, interval training is the way to go.
One cool thing about HIIT is that you don't even have to go to the gym to do it, although you certainly can if you want. If you can't find (or don't want to go to) an HIIT class, just follow the high-intensity interval format when running/walking, riding a bike, jumping rope, or even climbing stairs. Don't cheat if you're doing it on your own! When you go hard, GO HARD! Interval training is all about pushing yourself to the limit - and then resting, and then repeating.
Even better news? Even if you only have 10 minutes, it can make a difference in your health and overall fitness.
According to another study from McMasters University, just 10 minutes of stair climbing done in an interval-training manner can measurably improve your cardiovascular fitness and help you achieve the anti-aging benefits listed above.
In this study, two previously sedentary groups of women were given two different sets of stair climbing exercises to perform three times per week for 6 weeks. They followed the same format as in a previous experiment using an exercise bike. Each exercise period took approximately 10 minutes, including a warm up, cool down, and recovery period between each set.
In one experiment, the group did three 20-second bouts of stair climbing at maximum intensity, after warming up for 2 minutes. They recovered between each set for two minutes, then cooled down, for a total time of 10 minutes. (Because each set requires 20 seconds at a time of continuous climbing, this exercise requires a long set of stairs or bleachers.)
The second group climbed "vigorously" up and down one flight of stairs for 60 seconds at a time, with a 2-minute warmup beforehand, a two-minute rest in between each set, and a cool-down period at the end, for a total time of approximately 10 minutes.
Both experiments showed similarly measurable improvements to overall cardiovascular fitness.
And, because the second version only requires one flight of stairs, anyone with a two-story home or office building can perform this exercise, negating the need to go to the gym - or the excuse, "I don't have the time."
Keep in mind that to gain the benefits of this exercise, you need to stick to the high-intensity format, which means adjusting your interpretation of "climb vigorously" to your own fitness level. The goal is to increase your heart rate substantially, and then return it to the its resting rate quickly, then repeat. If you are starting at a very low fitness level, this may mean simply walking up and down the stairs, with a pause to rest between each set. If you are more fit, it may mean jogging up and down, and then walking slowly up and down during the rest period. (Note: Be careful if you have knee problems, don't run down the stairs - walk down carefully, and only jog or run on the way up.)
Just as a rule of thumb, at your maximum level, you should not be able to talk normally or speak a full sentence without gasping for breath. Test yourself - if you still can speak a full sentence at the end of your 60-second climbing period, you need to go harder.
If you have been very sedentary for a long time, you may want to start with just one 60-second set (after warming up), then cool down. As you progress, add another set every week, until you reach a total time of about 10 minutes (2-3 sets total).
Isn't a longer, healthier life worth 10 minutes of your time, three times a week?
If not, I'm not sure what you're doing here... :-)
Rose.
Sources:
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-10-minute-workout-guaranteed-to-improve-your-fitness-according-to-science.html
https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/no-time-no-gym-no-excuse-say-mac-researchers/
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-best-way-to-feel-younger-1-exercise-that-will-change-your-body-most-accordin.html
However, while getting older is inevitable, its physical consequences don't have to be - or at least, they can be slowed (or even reversed), according to research on exercise and its anti-aging effects.
As reported in a recent article on Inc.com, a recent study followed four groups of generally healthy but previously sedentary men and women (divided into two age groups - half below age 30, the other half over age 64) for 12 weeks as they participated in different exercise programs. One group did no exercise at all, one alternated between riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes and lifting light weights on different days, one group did heavy weight training, and the fourth group did high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a stationary bike only - pedaling all-out for 4 minutes, resting for 3, and then repeating 3 more times.
All groups except the control group (no surprise there, but that's what control groups are for) made improvements in their overall fitness. Those who lifted weights experienced an increase in physical strength and muscle mass, with those lifting heavier weights showing a greater difference (also no surprise). Those who rode the stationary bikes showed improvements in cardiovascular fitness, and those who participated in the interval training also had increased stamina and endurance.
However, here's where it gets interesting... The group that did the high-intensity interval workouts not only experienced increased physical endurance, but based on testing a sampling of biopsied muscle cells, their cells actually acted younger! AND this difference was especially pronounced among the older participants.
This result was not found in any of the other exercise groups.
According to the lead researcher on the study, "It seems as if the decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging was 'corrected' with exercise, especially if it was intense. In fact, older people's cells responded more robustly to intense exercise than the cells of the young."
So what does this all mean for you?
Basically, exercising has benefits for your health, no matter what kind of exercise you do. But if you want to turn back the clock and build healthier, younger cells, interval training is the way to go.
One cool thing about HIIT is that you don't even have to go to the gym to do it, although you certainly can if you want. If you can't find (or don't want to go to) an HIIT class, just follow the high-intensity interval format when running/walking, riding a bike, jumping rope, or even climbing stairs. Don't cheat if you're doing it on your own! When you go hard, GO HARD! Interval training is all about pushing yourself to the limit - and then resting, and then repeating.
Even better news? Even if you only have 10 minutes, it can make a difference in your health and overall fitness.
According to another study from McMasters University, just 10 minutes of stair climbing done in an interval-training manner can measurably improve your cardiovascular fitness and help you achieve the anti-aging benefits listed above.
In this study, two previously sedentary groups of women were given two different sets of stair climbing exercises to perform three times per week for 6 weeks. They followed the same format as in a previous experiment using an exercise bike. Each exercise period took approximately 10 minutes, including a warm up, cool down, and recovery period between each set.
In one experiment, the group did three 20-second bouts of stair climbing at maximum intensity, after warming up for 2 minutes. They recovered between each set for two minutes, then cooled down, for a total time of 10 minutes. (Because each set requires 20 seconds at a time of continuous climbing, this exercise requires a long set of stairs or bleachers.)
The second group climbed "vigorously" up and down one flight of stairs for 60 seconds at a time, with a 2-minute warmup beforehand, a two-minute rest in between each set, and a cool-down period at the end, for a total time of approximately 10 minutes.
Both experiments showed similarly measurable improvements to overall cardiovascular fitness.
And, because the second version only requires one flight of stairs, anyone with a two-story home or office building can perform this exercise, negating the need to go to the gym - or the excuse, "I don't have the time."
Keep in mind that to gain the benefits of this exercise, you need to stick to the high-intensity format, which means adjusting your interpretation of "climb vigorously" to your own fitness level. The goal is to increase your heart rate substantially, and then return it to the its resting rate quickly, then repeat. If you are starting at a very low fitness level, this may mean simply walking up and down the stairs, with a pause to rest between each set. If you are more fit, it may mean jogging up and down, and then walking slowly up and down during the rest period. (Note: Be careful if you have knee problems, don't run down the stairs - walk down carefully, and only jog or run on the way up.)
Just as a rule of thumb, at your maximum level, you should not be able to talk normally or speak a full sentence without gasping for breath. Test yourself - if you still can speak a full sentence at the end of your 60-second climbing period, you need to go harder.
If you have been very sedentary for a long time, you may want to start with just one 60-second set (after warming up), then cool down. As you progress, add another set every week, until you reach a total time of about 10 minutes (2-3 sets total).
Isn't a longer, healthier life worth 10 minutes of your time, three times a week?
If not, I'm not sure what you're doing here... :-)
Rose.
Sources:
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-10-minute-workout-guaranteed-to-improve-your-fitness-according-to-science.html
https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/no-time-no-gym-no-excuse-say-mac-researchers/
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-best-way-to-feel-younger-1-exercise-that-will-change-your-body-most-accordin.html
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