There is a common misconception about exercising after you’ve passed your prime. It is that you can’t do what the younger ones do. That just isn’t true.
One of these exercises that most older ones would avoid is HIIT, or high-intensity interval training. This type of exercise involves a series of intervals that alternate between periods of high-intensity exercise and periods of rest. The lengths of the periods can vary but here is an example of one workout considered to be HIIT:
- 3 minute warm up
- 30 seconds high intensity
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 10 times
- 3 minute cool down
It’s important to remember that HIIT workouts depend on enough exertion during your high-intensity periods and enough rest to recover for another high-intensity period. When starting out your rest periods will probably need to be longer, but as your cardiovascular strength increases, you will be able to decrease your rest time.
Some would say that this type of workout would be dangerous to people with heart problems because of the amount of the high spikes in heart rate during the high-intensity workout, but this type of workout is easier on the heart than longer moderate exercise.
Also, this type of exercise is best for burning belly fat, which can help prevent many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and more. It is a great way to work out when you don’t have a lot of time because you burn as many calories during a short HIIT workout as you would in a longer moderate exercise.
Even with all the evidence of the benefits of this type of exercise, it is always recommended that you talk to your doctor first before starting a workout program that includes high-intensity interval training.
