In the gym today, I witnessed some pretty sorry excuses for a work-out. What's the point of going? If you want to maintain a slim, toned physique and earn the right to consume a few alcoholic beverages on a Friday night without fear of bursting out of your jeans, then reading a paper whilst gently turning the legs on a gym bike, just ain't gonna cut it. The truth is - if you want to make a visit to the gym worth the time and money, you have to go through a bit of discomfort. It's meant to be tough. Otherwise, take a long walk, because it'll give you the same results, be more cost effective and the fresh air will be better for you.
H.I.I.T. or High Intensity Interval Training in long form, is becoming all the rage these days. It's essentially a form of exercise that shocks your body into the equivalent of a fight or flight state. Your heart rate is up for a few seconds while the limited energy reserves - the same ones used for getting you out of a tight spot and away from danger - are fired into action. This takes the body from 0-100% very quickly, followed by a recovery period where the reserves replenish while your heart and lungs catch up. It's certainly not something I'd say was enjoyable - you're not reading the sports section of your newspaper at this point! But it is only for very short bursts. Not only is this type of training good for pushing your aerobic levels up for fitness, it also improves recovery time and burns fat faster.
Granted - poodling along at a jog, slow cadence ride on a bike or at a comfortable level on the rower will still burn calories - albeit at a slower rate. The H.I.I.T. process is so effective that the body can effectively burn the same amount of calories a lot quicker and throughout the day - effectively giving desired results whilst allowing time for more pleasurable pursuits outside the gym.
No comments:
Post a Comment