Can High-Intensity Aerobics Reverse the Aging Process?

Mayo researchers compared high-intensity interval training, resistance training, and combined training in a twelve-week study. They monitored molecular and metabolic changes in adults, divided into age groups of between 18 and 30 and between 65 and 80 years.

All kinds of training increased lean body mass and insulin sensitivity. But only high-intensity and combined training improved aerobic capacity and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle.

Mitochondria are tiny energy-producing structures inside cells. They change with age and activity and tend to decrease, both in content and function, as we grow older. One result is that we have less energy.

High-Intensity Interval

In the study, high-intensity interval training also improved muscle protein content. That not only allowed cells to create more energy but also caused muscles to grow bigger, especially in older adults.

The ability of the mitochondria to generate energy was increased by 69% among the seniors, and by 49% in the younger group.

You should make sure that your heart is exercised every day. Aerobics exercises stimulate the respiratory and circulatory systems. As a result, you will supply fresh oxygenated blood to your cells, and your body will function more efficiently.

The heart is like any other muscle, if you don’t use it, you will lose it! Do something every day, preferably early morning for half an hour.

Aerobic Activity

You can choose from many aerobic activities. Swimming, tennis, skipping robe, light jogging, bike riding, stretching, brisk walking, as well as aerobic classes. If you don’t have the time to go to the gym, you can probably buy some equipment to exercise at home. For example rebounding on mini-trampolines. Rebounding is a terrific aerobic exercise for all ages, that you can do at home or even better, outside.

It strengthens and tones every cell of the body because it works against the gravity pull. Your heart rate will slow down, which is important. The lower the better. Mine is at 60 beats/minute and has been like that for a long time.

Don’t make the mistake of excluding exercise from your daily life. A walk in the forest or at the seashore will do wonders for your physical well-being and for your emotional and spiritual outlook.

Weight-Bearing Exercise

Weight-bearing exercises have several advantages above aerobics. Weight training significantly increases cardiovascular capacity and endurance. Weight lifting is better than aerobics to lose belly fat. It also increases muscle mass, thereby providing a more plentiful supply of glutamine for your immunity.

Combination

Apply high-intensity forms of exercise and full-body resistance training.  Low-intensity cardio exercise has no effect on removing visceral fat in particular.  High-intensity exercise such as interval training, sprints (bike sprints or running sprints), AND full-body weight training are very effective at helping to improve your body’s ability to manage glucose and increases insulin sensitivity, a crucial step in removing visceral fat.

These types of high-intensity exercise routines are also very effective at increasing your fat-burning hormones and creating a hormonal environment conducive to burning off abdominal fat.

Don’t train with weights for more than one hour per workout. Your ability to gain lean mass, is limited by your hormone levels. After 45 minutes to one hour, hormone levels decline. You can force yourself to continue, but it doesn’t do your body any good.

Variety

Use a wide variety of exercises. Restricted resistance exercises, especially on machines, stress only certain fibers of a muscle in certain positions. You need to get all the fibers in all positions. You have to move some weights if you want a long and healthy life.

“We encourage everyone to exercise regularly, but the take-home message for older adults that supervised high-intensity training is probably the best, because, both metabolically and at the molecular level, it produces the most benefits, says Dr. K. Sreekumaran Nair, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and senior researcher on the study.

Loaded Carries

Another intense exercise that combines both strength training and aerobics is ‘loaded carries’. In this type of exercise, you carry weight, appropriate for your capacity and health status and you walk with it outdoors. Slowly and gradually you may increase the amount of weight you carry. This increases strength and aerobic capacity and it even increases testosterone in men.

There are several variations you may explore and many articles and videos are available on the Internet. Put your health and safety first and rest appropriately and avoid competitive partners.

Article Source: Amazines