According to the American Heart Association, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or a combination of both, to maintain good health. Believe it or not, the same rules of physiology apply all the way down here in Hobart too. Yep, fitness requirements are universal it would seem (for humans anyway).
However, high-intensity training can be an effective way to decrease the amount of time needed to achieve these health benefits. Research has shown that just a few minutes of high-intensity exercise per week can have significant health benefits, such as improving cardiovascular function, increasing insulin sensitivity, and reducing body fat.
In fact, some studies suggest that as little as 10 minutes of high-intensity exercise, performed three times a week, can provide similar benefits to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. This is because high-intensity exercise places a greater demand on the body, leading to increased calorie burn, improved cardiovascular function, and enhanced metabolic function.
The group training sessions we run at GTT (we call them Team Training) are a great way to harness the energy of the group to bring you up to these higher intensities. As we all know, finding the required level of 'ooomph' can be extra hard when training on your own.
Our Team Training sessions at our Hobart CBD location are a little bit longer than that too (going from 45-60 minutes each). Doing 2-3 of these sessions each week for 45-60 minutes sees our clients well and truly hit their quota of intensity minutes each week.
So, while the recommended amount of aerobic exercise per week is a helpful guideline for maintaining good health, incorporating high-intensity exercise into your routine can help you achieve these benefits in less time.
However, it's important to gradually increase the intensity of your workouts and ensure that you're working at a level that is safe and appropriate for your fitness level and health goals. As always, it's best to consult with a qualified personal trainer or healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine.
When it comes to high-intensity exercise, there are many modalities to choose from, and the right one for you will depend on your fitness level, interests, and goals. Some of the most popular types of high-intensity exercise include:
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This involves alternating periods of high-intensity exercise with periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. Exeample, work hard for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds and repeat this 20-20 times for a session. HIIT workouts can be customised to your fitness level and can be done with various types of equipment, such as bodyweight exercises, cycling, running, kettlebells and sleds.
Circuit Training: This involves performing a series of exercises in rapid succession, with minimal rest in between. Circuit training can be done with a variety of equipment, such as dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, sleds, bikes or resistance bands.
Plyometric Training: This involves explosive movements that require jumping, hopping, or bounding. Plyometric exercises can help improve power and speed, and can be done with bodyweight exercises or equipment like plyo boxes (although they're not usually the best training modality for beginners).
Seld drags are a great high-reward, low-risk exercise that's appropriate for high-intensity training.
Remember, when starting a new high-intensity exercise routine, it's essential to start at a level that is safe and appropriate for your fitness level and goals. Choose exercises that are appropriate for your training experience and will allow you to train with low levels of injury risk exposure.
Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts over time, and always listen to your body and rest when needed. Consulting with a qualified personal trainer or healthcare provider can also help ensure that you're doing the right type of exercise at the right intensity level for your needs.
But where does resistance training (lifting weights) fit into this picture? Well, it doesn’t. Whilst resistance training should definitely be part of your weekly training mix, due to the different effects it has on the heart and nervous system (more about that in an upcoming blog), it needs to be categorized as an important part of the training week but one that’s separate to the 150-minute rule.
Summary; High-intensity training is a great tool for getting more out of your training and saving time each week. It’ll help you get fitter, leaner and healthier, but you’ve got to make sure you’re doing it right!
So if you want the ultimate in well designed high intensity training to improve your health of fitness? Book a time below to come talk more about how we can help you with that at GTT Hobart.
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