If you think you don’t have time to workout, think again! In fact, this article is all about how exercise changes how your body is programmed. It is responsible for igniting hormones that keep you healthy, young, and mentally stable. Without exercise your body begins to atrophy, you muscle shrinks, your cells age faster, your fat cells expand, and your mental state changes. Twenty minutes of exercise could mean the different between being young and healthy or old and grumpy!
Exercise and Your Brain
The First 20 Minutes of Exercise (after being sedentary) are the most beneficial minutes you’ll spend. They are responsible for prolonged life and reduce your risk of disease.
Every 70 Seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s. What helps prevent Alzheimer’s? You guessed it! Exercise!
Exercise and Your Brain
- Exercise increases blood flow to the brain
- Helps control blood glucose levels (blood sugar)
- Improves the body’s immune response (to fight disease)
- Increase hormone response (to keep you young)
- Strengthens the spine.
What exercises are the best for your health?
First off, consistency is key. If you can commit to a pattern of exercise, that is the first step. Right now just keep it simple and start moving 3- 4 times a week. Create that pattern and stick to it! Interval training is a very popular and beneficial form of exercise that I use on myself, my clients, and on my free training program known as Body Burn. Feel free to create a profile and login at least once a week to find the new workout routines that are released as you go through the trial package. * We will be doing a follow up on which exercises burn the most calories later on in the week so stay tuned 😉
“In conclusion, this study showed that moderate-intensity aerobic training that improves the maximal aerobic power does not change anaerobic capacity and that adequate high-intensity intermittent training may improve both anaerobic and aerobic energy supplying systems significantly, probably through imposing intensive stimuli on both systems (1).”
This means that interval training could be the best reward for your exercise time. However, as mentioned before, don’t be picky. Start moving then try committing to a routine later.
The Study
Group 1: did 30 minutes of High Intensity Training at 85% of their heart rate for 30 minutes. Group 2: Did did 8 rounds of 20 seconds of a single exercise (burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or squat thrusts) with 10 seconds of rest between rounds. Similar to the Body Burn routines I use. Group 3: Was the control group that did nothing. No exercise at all. Both groups had the same amount of improvement. However, group 2 only REALLY exercised a total of 4 minutes. BUT that’s not the end of the study….. ONLY Group 2, also increased muscular endurance in common exercises like chest presses, leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups. Group 2 ALSO had the most enjoyable experience. This is very important! If you enjoy your workout you are 10 times more likely to stick with it! References: 1. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K. 2. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012 Dec;37(6):1124-31. doi: 10.1139/h2012-093. Epub 2012 Sep 20. Extremely low volume, whole-body aerobic-resistance training improves aerobic fitness and muscular endurance in females. McRae G, Payne A, Zelt JG, Scribbans TD, Jung ME, Little JP, Gurd BJ. As my training clients know, I am not a huge fan of tons of cardio with little to know weight bearing exercise. This type of exercise can make your body dependent upon cardio for calorie burning. Doing short bursts of exercise in a circuit training fashion allows your body to release growth hormone and promotes overall change. “Cardio Queens,” as we like to call them, get the short end of the stick. They become reliant upon their cardio and without it they suffer the pain of quick weight gain (without their cardio). Using exercise bursts increase metabolism and lean muscle mass, something we ALL need to stay young, healthy and fit. Have your done your 20 today? Adria
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