Exercise can stop the aging process? Yes!
Does it sound crazy? Yes
Want to know how? Well gather round, I got a story to tell!
First off, we should all be exercising at the minimum 3 days a week for 90 minutes. There are countless proven benefits which include:
- strengthening muscles and bones
- improve mental mood and health
- reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.)
- prevention of injuries and much more
However, there is a new study that shows that Interval Training (particularly high intense interval training) can keep us younger.
So you might ask what is high Intense Interval Training or HIIT?
It involves short bursts of aerobic activity tied into a stretch of more moderate activity.
In layman terms, you alternate between very intense bouts of exercise and low-intensity exercises. For example, you could sprint for 30 seconds, followed that up with 30 seconds of walking, and then repeat the cycle.
OK.
That makes sense but how does this slow our aging process?
Based on the study (can be found here), “Exercising, particularly high-intensity interval Training, encourages your cells to make more proteins to feed their energy-producing machinery — and this stops the aging process.”
Think it’s fool’s good? Well, let me explain a little deeper.
The Data
In the study, people of all ages were separated into 3 groups. The groups were as follows:
- HIIT group
- Strength training group
- Combined (less strenuous than the 1st group, and fewer reps compared to the 2nd group.)
Each group would train for 3 months. Data would be collected each day the participants trained.
The results showed that all forms of exercise improved overall fitness. However, when it came to tracking which forms of exercise slowed aging, HIIT blew the other 2 forms out the water.
Young individuals in the HIIT group saw a 49% increase in protein making, while older participants saw an amazing 69% increase.
Conclusion:
Start thinking about adding a session HIIT on a weekly basis. I start HIIT about 2 years ago. I am still relatively young, so I haven’t seen a difference yet. But I am sure if I was older, the benefits would be great.
Let me know your thoughts!
The post Interval Training, the Key to the Fountain of Youth? appeared first on LiftEatShred.
