Is Faster better than moderate longer workouts that have less impact on the joints?
According to a recent article from Men's Health new research in the BMJ Open,
Working out harder instead of longer could be the secret to warding off metabolic syndrome (MS), a combination of risk factors — which include obesity and high blood pressure — that increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.
Over ten years of looking at the fitness habits of people, –researchers found that those who reported jogging or brisk walking 2 to 4 hours a week cut their risk of developing MS by 35 to 50 percent.
Wow!!! This really puts throws a wrench in my routine. I find that I feel much better when I workout with less impact on the joints, but consistently. Yoga, Pilates and my fitness ball have both made such an impact on my mind and body. It is kind of disappointing to read about these new findings.
It is not a surprise that having a higher intensity workout, will yield a different effect on the heart and blood vessels. That's just common sense.
There is a silver lining in this all of this research – "brisk walking" was classified as "high intensity". Noted Cardiologist Eric Topol, M.D., director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, added the following:
"Rigorous aerobic activity is really the best.
The BMJ Open study put "brisk walking" in the "high intensity" category. Unfortunately, the study found that light physical activity didn’t decrease the participants' MS risk — sadly enough this included even 2 hours a week of walking. I know that most of the walkers in my neighborhood will be bummee out to read this. Nevertheless, I will keep exercising, because it makes my mind and body feed good.
In the article, "Exercising but not losing weight, Dr. Al Sears, M.D., ACE-Certified Fitness Trainer and author, stated the following encouraging news:
If you want to burn fat and keep it off, exercise in short bursts of high intensity.
It has to do with what your body uses for fuel during exercise. For the first two or three minutes of a workout you burn ATP, your body’s cellular energy source. Then you start burning carbs from muscle tissue. After about 20 minutes you switch to fat.
Exercising for short periods will use these carbs during exercise. Then you start to burn fat after your workout–while you replenish the carbs.
Click on the following to read more on the best workout for your heart:
Three New Cardio Workouts – Men's Health
The Best Workout for Your Heart – Men's Health - Cassie Shortsleeve
Exercising But Not Losing Weight? – Woman's Tribune
Pace Fitness Program – PaceLiving.com
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