We all want to live well, no matter our age. Unfortunately, even if you exercise religiously and maintain a healthy diet, there are certain factors of aging that seem to be unstoppable.
One of those factors is mitochondrial activity, which declines with age. This decline leads to fatigue as well as an increased risk of diabetes.
The good news? A recent study conducted by Sreekumaran Nair at the Mayo Clinic shows there may be something you can do to boost mitochondrial activity levels after all: high intensity interval training (HIIT).
What Is HIIT?
High intensity interval training, commonly referred to as HIIT, is exercise that involves short bursts of very intense activity broken up by periods of recovery work. For example, one HIIT workout might include repeating a cycle in which you run at full speed for one minute, then walk for two, then run for one again.
HIIT melts fat faster, longer and more efficiently, burning calories for up to 48 hours after your workout. Additionally, HIIT conserves your muscles and gives you more muscle definition than regular cardio sessions alone.
Other benefits of HIIT include:
- More fat loss
- No equipment requirements
- Increased metabolism
- No location restriction
How Does HIIT Reduce The Effects Of Aging?
According to the Mayo Clinic study mentioned earlier, HIIT exercise boosts the ability of mitochondria to produce energy. The decline of mitochondrial activity that normally occurs with age was found to stop — or even reverse — in study participants who performed HIIT exercises for three months.
As if that isn’t enough, lung, heart and circulation health also improved significantly in interval trainers. The amount of oxygen they could inhale while working out rose by 17 percent.
According to Nair, “After three months of interval training, everything converged towards what we saw in young people.”
Age Well With High Intensity Interval Training
With HIIT, you don’t have to let your age stop you from having the life you desire. Adding just three or four HIIT sessions a week can significantly improve your quality of life.
Even better, these sessions don’t have to be long. You don’t need to spend hour upon hour in the gym to make an impact on your health. A small investment of time and energy produces amazing results.
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