Many of the better-known benefits of high-intensity interval training have been extolled all through the media. For those who don’t know, high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is a type of exercise that combines bursts of intense activity with periods of moderately paced activity. For example, one HIIT exercise may be sprinting all out for 30 seconds alternated with jogging at a steady pace for 30 seconds for a total of 10 minutes. HIIT exercises can incorporate weight or resistance training as well. The well-documented benefits of HIIT include boosting metabolism, burning a lot of calories in a short amount of time, toning muscle, and improving aerobic fitness. However, for those seeking some anti-aging tips and tricks, HIIT may also hold the secret to maintaining youth.
HIIT and Anti-Aging
A recent study analyzed three groups of people who exercised with HIIT, resistance training, or a combination of strength and cardio over a period of 12 weeks. While researchers found that all three types of exercise improved their lean body mass, only the ones performing HIIT displayed improvement in aerobic capacity as well as the exercise capacity of the mitochondria in their muscles. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of your muscle cells. They generate the energy your cells use to perform activities and are essential to healthy living.
As we age, mitochondria become less efficient. This decrease in performance can be linked to insulin resistance and worsened cardiorespiratory fitness. In this study, the researchers reported that the HIIT regimen actually appeared to reverse the age-related decline in mitochondrial function and proteins needed for muscle building.
The Results
As any who have sought anti-aging tips will likely know, there’s no better substitute for exercise when it comes to impeding the aging process. This study showed that, in both younger and older adults, HIIT increased aerobic capacity, insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial function, lean muscle mass, and muscle strength.
When researchers analyzed the participants’ changes at a cellular level, they noticed something incredible. In terms of how they handled energy, the older group’s cells looked more like the younger group’s cells. HIIT increased the mitochondrial function by 49% in the young group and a whopping 69% in the older adults. This means HIIT exercise effectively revitalized the cellular function of the older adults to resemble that of the younger adults.
Takeaways
The overarching takeaway here is that exercise is extremely beneficial for the body, of course, but, more specifically, high-intensity interval training provides an incredible anti-aging boost. However, don’t just fill your exercise regimen with nothing but HIIT. When it comes to anti-aging tips, remember that strength or resistance training is also important for health. As we age, muscle strength gradually deteriorates if left unwatched. Combining HIIT and strength training is the optimal way to keep your body healthy and defy natural aging.
More Anti-Aging Tips
While exercise is a key component for anti-aging tips, there are much more ways you can take control. Therefore, to slow or even try to reverse the aging process. By practicing proper exercise, nutrition, supplementation, and stress responses, you can take the steps towards successful anti-aging. In order to see the results you desire, it’s best to partner with a knowledgeable and experienced functional medicine doctor.
Lorraine Maita, MD is an award winning physician, speaker, and author of “Vibrance for Life: How to Live Younger and Healthier.” She can make you slim, sharp, sexy and supercharged. She is an expert in anti-aging medicine, bioidentical hormone replacement, weight loss, medical nutrition, supplements, and executive health.
Dr. Maita was the medical director for 3 Fortune 100 companies. In addition, she has a private practice specializing in Functional, Integrative, Personalized and Anti-Aging Medicine in Summit and Basking Ridge, NJ. She educates virtually at www.vibranceforlife.com. She is also an advisory team member for Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life on WOR radio, the #1 talk radio station in the NY Metropolitan area. To schedule an appointment, get in touch with her office today!
She is a recognized and award-winning holistic, functional, integrative and anti-aging healthcare practitioner, speaker and author, and has been featured in ABC News, Forbes, WOR Radio and many media outlets to spread the word that you can live younger and healthier at any age.