Fit Fact: Interval training can slow the aging process
Now there's some evidence that interval training can actually slow down aging. Scientists know that regular aerobic exercise can decrease biological age by 10 years. The reason is that exercise improves mitochondrial function - if you've forgotten your biology lessons, mitochondria live in your cells and are responsible for producing energy. Improved mitochondria means that your cells function at a higher level for a longer period of time.
The harder you exercise, the better your cells work, but working at a high enough intensity (or going all out) to improve cells and slow the aging process for every workout isn't feasible (or recommended) for most of us. That's where interval training comes in, allowing you to work at high levels of intensity for long enough that you get the benefits, but short enough that don't hurt yourself or start hating exercise.
There are a number of ways to set up interval workouts. You can add short bursts of high intensity exercise to your regular workouts like speedwalking, sprints, hills, higher resistance or incline, plyometric exercises or anything that speeds up your heart rate. You then slow down and recover completely before going into another interval. You'll find some resources below for setting up your own interval workouts.
- Interval Training - Sprints & Hills
- Beginner Interval Workout
- Boost Performance with Interval Training
- How to Add Intensity to Your Workouts
- More Interval Workouts
Sources:
Ashmore, Amy. "Slow Down Aging With Interval Training." IDEA Fitness Journal, September 2008.
Shephard, R.J. Maximal oxygen intake and independence in old age. Br J Sports Med. April, 2008.
Wright, Vonda J. and Brett C. Perricelli, MD. Age-Related Rates of Decline in Performance Among Elite Senior Athletes. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 36:443-450 (2008).
Comments
The StairMaster “Fat Burner” program is quite a humbling interval workout. Also, when I walk the hills in my neighborhood, 6 to 8 sets of 10-15ea walking lunges is pretty good for a little boost to heart rate (and thigh burn).
My elliptical machine has several workouts pre-programmed, including heart rate workouts. I prefer the hill heart rate workout (45 mins), which simulates climbing, then descending a hill. My wife prefers the interval workout (55 mins), which alternates between minimum and maximum exertion levels.
On alternate workouts, I include light weights, stomach crunches, and good old-fashioned push-ups.
The point is, I’m 62 years old, and doing my best to avoid the debilitating effects of aging physically and mentally.
There is also the alarming statistic that 54 million Americans are pre-diabetic, and I certainly don’t want to be a part of that population.
This is an excellent article on interval training and alternatives. I will look at the other articles here to vary and/or supplement my current program.