3 Minutes a Week of Exercise for Better Health – Is that All?

Active adults, who do not have the time to exercise for long hours, will be happy to hear recent research has indicated that short bursts of intense exercise have many health benefits. Yes, it is true! All you need to do is take three minutes off your busy schedule to do some high-intensity training (HIT), a week for four weeks, and you will start seeing the benefits. For example, in some research institutes, participants experienced an average of 24% insulin sensitivity with just 3 minutes of exercise. So, how do you do this? Let’s look.

How to do 3 Minutes of HIT

Firstly, before you embark on your HIT training, you should always consider the advice of a medical practitioner. You should consider this exercise only if you receive the “go-ahead” from your doctor. Never do any form of exercise without consulting your doctor first. Once you have their approval consider the factors mentioned below.

• Warm up for a couple of minutes with some slow and gentle cycling. This can also be some slow walking.
• Exercise as hard and as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Remember, it should not exceed 30 seconds.
• Slow down after 30 seconds and cycle or walk slowly for approximately 90 seconds while you catch your breath.
• Repeat and ride or run hell for leather for another 20 or 30 seconds.

That’s it. Isn’t it great not to have to spend hours at a gym so that you can be fit and healthy?

Insulin Sensitivity

HIT is an excellent exercise regime for diabetics. One month of HIT can increase insulin sensitivity by 24% – 34%. This is extremely important for keeping your blood sugar levels stable. When you eat, your blood sugar levels rise and this causes the release of insulin, a hormone that enables body tissue to absorb glucose, from the pancreas. A reduction in insulin sensitivity results in a condition known as insulin resistance. This causes high levels of insulin, fats, and glucose to circulate in the bloodstream. This can be a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome associated with stroke, coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes. Although it is unclear how HIT affects insulin levels, it is believed that this form of exercise uses more muscles than conventional exercise, which results in an increase in insulin sensitivity. According to sources, HIT engages 80% of the body’s muscles as opposed to the 40% engaged during moderate jogging or cycling.

Weight Loss

One of the great things about HIT is that this form of exercise does not leave you ravenous unlike conventional, long hours of exercise. This means you do not rush to the nearest food outlet to get something to eat. This is because HIT demands less energy expenditure. This form of exercise also increases your metabolic rate as it builds muscle.

Although HIT is proving to be a major hit with many, it is still in its experimental stages. Therefore, take the proper precautions when considering doing so. Furthermore, if you are interested in participating in HIT, you should consider a more well-rounded fitness program.

Any form of exercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, if you are worried about any problems that may occur with HIT, you should consider walking or cycling, or any other form of exercise that keeps your heart pumping. You have many exercise options to consider if you lived in an active adult community. You can swim, play tennis, golf, use the gymnasium, or walk or bicycle on the trails provided. Interested? Take a look at some of the communities mentioned below.

• Trilogy® in Summerlin® – Las Vegas, NV
• Cresswind Charleston by Kolter Homes – Summerville, SC
• Woods Point by Landed Gentry – Ferndale, WA
• Embrey Mill by Newland Communities – Stafford, VA
• The Farm at Ingleside by Freedom Homes – Iron Station, NC

If you are interested in living a good life, you should visit these communities and turn a new chapter in life where active living is a way of life.  There are thousands of communities to consider and you can select one that best fits your needs and location preferences as well as the budget you can afford. Visit our website ActiveAdultLiving.com and take a look at all your options and live a healthy and happy life at any of these active adult communities.