HIIT has been known to burn the most calories and increase overall fitness in the shortest period of time. HIIT exercise alternates short intervals of maximum effort combined with several short recovery times. Often those intervals are 3-5 minutes or less of hard exercise with a couple minutes of rest. There are many different varieties of HIIT workouts, but they all have the same benefits.
Researchers have discovered that vigorous physical activity can take about ten years off your age, and even moderate physical activity can turn back the clock about seven years. Who doesn’t want that?
After the age of 35, most adults begin to lose 8-10% of their muscle mass per decade if you aren’t exercising. That means by age 55, you have lost up to 20% or so of your muscle mass. The worst part is that you probably don’t really notice the muscle loss, until you get to a point where everyday activities become difficult. Muscle is one of the most metabolically active parts of our bodies, so losing muscle means your metabolism drops!
Have you put on a few pounds as you have gotten older? Muscles and the mitochondria in our cells are strong determinants of our metabolism.
If you want to boost that metabolism back up, start a weight training or HIIT program. More muscle, more ‘horsepower’, more metabolism—and more energy!
In the study at Brigham Young University they compared those who did regular vigorous exercise and those who were sedentary. The conclusion was startling: the more physically active we are, the less biological aging we have.
Research from UCLA suggests that the more muscle mass older people have, the longer they can expect to live.
Exercise improves your mood, your focus and your memory while protecting your brain from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and banishes depression and anxiety. Exercise will help your body to burn off that dreaded belly fat and improve your skin tone.
You’re not too old and it’s not too late! All of these benefits happen, no matter what your age. It only takes 3-4 times a week of 30-40 minutes to make this work.
You can find many different types of HIIT workouts online.
Starting an exercise program today, no matter how old you are, will absolutely change your life for the better!