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Burst exercise is perhaps the best exercise for weight loss and overall health.
What is it? Burst exercise is short intervals (30-60 seconds) of high intensity exercise followed by long intervals (90 seconds - 3 minutes) of low intensity exercise for a total of 20 to 30 minutes.
What makes it so good?
- It normalizes insulin levels by activating glucose storing fast-twitch muscles to improve insulin sensitivity.
- It promotes Human Growth Hormone (HGH) production, a hormone necessary to reverse the aging process, by building muscle and increasing metabolism.
- It releases endorphins in the brain that elevate mood and reduce stress.
- It lowers blood pressure, more so than sustained low intensity exercise.
- It thins the waist, more so than sustained intensity exercise.
- It reduces resting pulse by challenging the heart to improve its efficiency and pump more blood with less effort.
How is it done? After a brief warm up (2-5 minutes), begin your first burst. Exercise as hard as you can for 30-60 seconds. You should feel warm, out of breath, and tired. Then, exercise at a much lower intensity for 90 seconds to 3 minutes. During this period, lift weights, stretch, or do low intensity aeorobic exercise. Alternate burst and low intensity intervals for 20, no more than 30 minutes, for a total of 4 minutes of high intensity burst.
- Example 1: After walking for 2 minutes, walk fast, jog, or run (depending on your fitness level) as hard as you can for 30 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, walk fast/jog/run for 30 seconds, and repeat 8 times.
- Example 2: After a 2 minute warm up, do jumping jacks or jump rope for 60 seconds followed by 3 minutes of yoga or stretching. Repeat 4 times.
- Example 3: After a 2 minute warm up, use an elliptical machine or treadmill as fast as you can for 30 seconds followed by 90 seconds of weight lifting. Repeat 8 times.
Dr. Cherniawski's comments: Think of the difference between a marathon runner, lanky with very little muscle definition, and a sprinter, fast and strong. You want to be a spinter because building fast-twitch muscle in the body increases lean tissue mass and metabolism to burn excess fat and lose weight. Unlike a conventional aeorbic workout which can deplete energy reserves from you body, a 20 minute burst workout will energize you.
For a comprehensive evaluation and to see if you qualify for our 21 Day Weight Loss Program, contact our office. You do not have to be a Las Vegas resident to qualify and start the program.
For more information: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/01/06/dr-doug-mcguff-on-exercise.aspx; http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/short-burst-training; http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Ten-Benefits-of-Interval-Training& |
