High Powerful Temporary Training and Heart Health


The first reason people say they can't stick to an exercise program is because they are too busy. Include high-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short.


Studies show that high blood pressure can make your heart and lungs smaller in less time, compared to traditional 30-minute instructions a day of exercise five days a week.


That sounds great for young athletes. Many older adults are concerned that this type of strenuous exercise will cause more health problems than it could put their heart at risk. But research into high-level temporary training for older adults, including those with age-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, is encouraging.1


Fundamentals of HIIT

High-intensity interval training involves short periods of strenuous exercise combined with long periods of slow activity such as recovery time. Any aerobic exercise can be HIIT training if it involves periods of intense effort (such as running).


Athletes may be familiar with Fartlek training or "speed play", which began in Scandinavia a few decades ago, based on similar principles. Since then, researchers have explored different break patterns, changing the strength and duration of both the exit and recovery stages.


Martin Gibala, chair of the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, rekindled interest in part-time training in the mid-2000s. His research showed that short-term training brought the same strength benefits as moderate strength training in just half the time.


Later, Gibala and his team tested HIIT for eight diabetic adults. Gala's data suggests that vigorous training may be safer, more effective, and — perhaps even more important — effective for adults struggling with significant health challenges.2


The study subjects showed moderate, beneficial changes in glucose metabolism, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition after just two weeks (six sessions). "Our research was limited, but the results suggest that HIIT has a real potential to improve physical fitness in older adults, without much of a commitment over time," Gibala said.


Indeed, subsequent research by Gibala and others has continued to demonstrate the benefits of HIIT for people with diabetes, prediabetes, and other health conditions.3


HIIT and Heart Disease

Although many studies have shown the benefits of exercise for adults with heart disease, most studies have involved moderate activity. But researchers are now testing whether high doses are safe for older adults with severe heart problems.


One study, for example, reviewed HIIT studies in heart patients and found evidence of safety and efficacy.4 Other studies have shown that HIIT is safe for patients with chronic stroke and in sedentary men.


Similarly, researchers reviewed 10 studies on HIIT in older subjects with conditions including coronary artery disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Meta-analyzes reveal that studies using HIIT medications have shown significant improvements in cardiorespiratory strength in people who follow moderate exercise programs.5


Cardiovascular fitness — tested by measuring large lung capacity — is also a predictor of better longevity. Martin Gibala believes that HIIT is a powerful force and provides another real form of exercise to improve the health of adults.


"We know there is a lot of research to be done on HIIT," he said. "A traditional exercise model may be a 'preferred drug,' with a lot of supporting data, but short-term training has shown a lot of promise."


Gibala continues: "We do not follow traditional cardio guidelines. We just want to say that when people are stressed over time, they can safely think about this alternative form of exercise."


Getting Started With HIIT

The first step is to get the OK for the doctor to start temporary training. Then, go up a little higher. You do not need to set a goal of 95% high heart rate, says Gibala.


If your daily exercise consists of walking after dinner with your dog, for example, it suggests using local signs such as light posts to put you on even stronger moments at work.


“Just step out of your comfort zone,” he advises. "Say, 'in the next two lampstands I will go quickly.' You lose your breath, and then you slow down. You get a little peak and a little valley. For some people, that's a moment. "


"We often use bicycles to train at intervals because it is easier to measure in the lab," Gala said. "But you can also use an elliptical machine, swimming, walking; any method that uses large muscles like the ones in the legs will work."


Over time — and very soon, evidence — your level of competence will improve. You will be able to support a very high level of effort, and you will be able to reap many of these effective moments.6