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How much better is your health and level of fitness
from a year ago? Will this year be another year of episodic commitment to
exercise with little or no change in your well being? It does not have to be
that way. For those who just can't seem to find the time or who can't seem
to stick to an exercise program there is an exercise program that will
produce positive changes, you can stick to it, and it does not require hours
in the gym.
Start by finding out what is the least amount of exercise that will produce
the most change instead of seeing how much exercise you can withstand. Add
to that modest dietary changes and engage in recreational activities you
enjoy. This is formula anyone can follow. For the most change in all aspects
of fitness in the least time spent exercising nothing compares to a method
of strength training called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) -
non-stop strength training, absolutely no rest between exercises. People of
any age can do this; in fact those who are older have the most to gain. A
knowledgeable trainer will know what the proper amount of intensity is for
each individual and when to increase that intensity.
A properly designed HIIT program performed once or twice a week for 20 to 30
minutes will produce continuing improvements in strength, muscle, tone,
flexibility, resistance to injury, bone density, resting metabolism, and
cardiovascular condition. No other exercise regime addresses all those
aspects of fitness simultaneously - none. The key is to get adequate
recovery between each session, and you will improve each week. Most people
opt for once a week when they see that once a week produces consistent
improvement. As long as you are improving each week you will get to where
you need to be. These improvements in your fitness will enable you to engage
in those recreational activities you enjoy and other more vigorous
activities longer, and this too will redound positively to your health. You
will feel better.
People of any level of fitness can benefit. Below are two examples of people
at opposite ends of the fitness spectrum who train using high intensity
interval training:
Laurence has been a competitive tri-athlete for more than 20 years. His
performances have always been good, but now he is getting better. A few
years back he participated in the New York City Triathlon. He did well but
did not win his age group. Three years later at the age of age 49, he
finished 24th overall in the New York City Triathlon with over 3000
participants. As the oldest in his age group, 45 to 49, he finished first
beating the nearest competitor more than five minutes.
Most importantly he beat his time by a wide margin from the last time he
participated in the NYC Triathlon three years earlier.
He attributes a large part of his success to this unique strength training
program. He has been doing it once a week for five years now. He is still
improving in strength, and his times in triathlons are coming down. The
strength increases from the program have enabled him to spend considerably
less time in the pool and on his bike.
Marcus at age 72 could play just nine holes, and the next day he was too
rundown to play again. He began training 30 minutes once a week. A year
later he was playing 18 holes, and the next day he'd play 18 holes again. He
was hitting the ball farther and enjoying golf again. Perhaps most
importantly of all, he received the added health benefits of walking those
additional 27 holes.
One need not be a prisoner of physical limitations, and one can live well
without requiring hours each week engaged in monotonous exercise.
Significant strength increases occur exercising as little as once or twice a
week IF it's the right exercise program with the right trainer. A personal
trainer with experience in this type of training will enable you to
eliminate the trial and error of trying to find what works and can help you
avoid injuries.
Nobody is put in a nursing home for being out of breath; it is generally
because they are too weak to carry out daily living activities, and then
they fall and hurt themselves. Positive life changes don't require hours in
the gym; do just enough to cause a change then come back and do it again in
a week. With such a program you'll more likely to stick to it and in a year
you will be a changed person. Mickey Mantle once said, "If I had known I was
going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself". Is it
worth spending less than an hour a week exercising to increase your quality
of life? For Laurence and Marcus it is.
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