The Science behind the HIIT
Over the last few weeks I've been encouraging you to make some bigger changes to your exercise by trying High Intensity Interval Training, aka Metabolic Training.
Just to keep you on track (or encourage you to give it a go if you haven't tried already) here's some good reasons why it's a bonus to your life.
We already looked at how it feels and what the immediate effects are but here's a little more in depth information about it.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) changes the way your body works.
It simply burns more calories than slow and steady workouts.
"a study presented by Florida State University (Tallahassee) researchers at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reported that subjects who performed HIIT cardio burned almost 10% more calories during the 24 hours following exercise than a steady-state group, despite the fact that the total calories burned during each workout were the same.".
Yes, never mind the calories you burn while exercising. The effort your body makes to recover from the high intensity work continues to burn still more calories.
It changes your blood sugar levels. Have a read of this article by Dr Michael Mosely to get the skinny but in short it breaks down the sugar (stored as glycogen) in your body so it can be better used up. Yes, regular, safe interval training can help manage or even prevent type 2 diet controlled diabetes.
It strengthens your bones. Most HIIT workouts will entail multiple joint actions under resistance and as a result has a positive effect on bone density. This doesn't mean you should rush to a Cross Fit class if you have osteoporosis, though! Using this kind of exercise when you're already strong and fit may delay onset of bone density related conditions by improving the blood flow to bones but shouldn't be undertaken if you're not confident of your skeletal health. Here's a great article about how bone density is affected by HIIT.
So have I convinced you to give it a try? If you need a little more information about how to get started you'll find it here in the original article. There's also a quick start guide with exercises suitable for most people. If you'd still prefer the personal touch or if you have concerns seek professional help from a personal trainer. I've recently changed my working hours which means I'm available until 6pm on weekdays. It would usually take 2-3 sessions to develop your ideal program and I'd love to be part of your journey. If you'd like that, too,
Enjoy Good Health!
