High in this context is the high associated with high-intensity interval training HIIT). This concept was advanced by Hans Reindell and Woldemar Gersheler to help the German Olympians prepare for the 1936 Olympics. It is better-known today wind sprints or fartleks.
I used to run (really, jog) until about fifteen years ago. I found that I like sprinting far better than I enjoyed running for an hour or more. I also found that I have fewer leg injuries compared to long-distance running. And, I am done in under twenty minutes.
I stretch, then begin running 100-yard dashes at a local park. I attempt (and, mainly successful) at running each sprint faster than the previous one. I take my pulse rate after each dash and allow it to go below 120 beats per minute before I run the next dash. I finish with another stretch.
My heart beat increases from rest (around 60) to around 160 and then after four or five dashes, it rises and falls from 120 to around 160. I measure the time between the passing the 100-yard line and the time it takes my pulse to go below 120. When in shape, this takes less than a minute.
Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and dynopenia (loss of strength) are common in the elderly. HIIT is used to correct both these conditions. HIIT increases the mitochondria in your cells. The mitochondria regulate the amount of oxygen used in conjunction with a fuel source (glucose or fat) to generate energy.
HIIT can be done on a bicycle or other gym equipment. It can be done in the pool also. Force yourself to expend as much energy doing an exercise as possible for a short period of time. When I’m running, the time period is between 20 and 30 seconds. When I’m riding a bicycle in the gym, it is between 45 and 60 seconds.
Please consult your physician before beginning any change in your exercise program, especially if you haven’t exercised vigorously in a while.
