New research examines the question of whether high-intensity exercise is beneficial for heart disease patients. The result:
“The four studies, which were composed of patients who either had acute coronary syndrome or angina pectoris, confirmed previous findings that high-intensity exercise is safe, even for patients with CHD” – quote is from this article High-Intensity Exercise for People With Heart Disease.
Another quote from the article:
"When we compared VO2max before and after the training period, we found that the number of training sessions, the subject's age or baseline fitness levels had no impact, but the intensity of the intervals had a significant effect, and seems to be the most important characteristic of an effective interval session.”
It was not how often but how hard they trained that produced the measurable change. They define high-intensity training as the point where a subject's HR during intensive periods is 85-95% of HRmax. They found that VO2max increased by 11.9 % after an average of 23.4 training sessions during the 12-week period for all subjects. They also found that when intensity that was greater than 92 % of their HRmax during the high-intensity periods, the effect was even greater.
This high intensity interval training works for those with healthy hearts as well. It can be conducted on various type of aerobic equipment or it can be done with interval strength training – a series of intense strength training exercises with little rests in between.
There are an infinite number of possible high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that can be performed. They cannot be both long and intense. Done right they will be brief and intense. You will have to build up to this. AtAustin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we can help you gradually build up to a high intensity regime that is safe, effective, and efficient for your age and condition. You need not spend hours in the gym to feel better, look better, and perform better.
Other heart healthy blog entries:
1. The Heart Can Benefit From Brief Intense Exercise
2. Conventional wisdom and the benefits of strength training for cardiovascular health and weight loss
3. Brief, Intense Exercise Can Benefit The Heart
4. High-intensity exercise better at improving metabolic syndrome risk factors