Effective osteopenia treatment

A cure relieves a person of the symptoms of a sickness or a condition. A treatment can slow, stop, or reverse the progression of an illness or condition such as osteopenia. Some of our clients have had amazing results in reversing their bone loss. There is no cure for osteopenia or osteoporosis. Treatments for osteopenia include changes in diet, supplements such as calcium and vitamin D, hormone therapy, several types of osteoporosis drugs, alternative medicine, and physical activities and exercise (particularly weight-bearing exercise). Of course, there are side-effects to taking the osteoporosis drugs, none of them pleasant.

Our body is constantly adapting to the physical stress and strain. Our bones adapt to physical stress and strain and are constantly remodeling themselves. If you expose the body and the bones to weight-bearing exercise the body and bones will adapt and become stronger.

If one has osteopenia one could see a reversal or experience a cessation of the bone loss. In the case of osteoporosis you are less likely see a slowing-down of the bone loss or a reversal. Osteopenia progresses to osteoporosis. It would seem to me to be crucial to stop this bone loss process early on rather than wait until the process is well on its way to osteoporosis when a reversal is less likely. With a stronger body one is less like to be injured and suffer factures. When fractures occur exercise might then become out of the question. If you keep putting the decision to exercise off it might be too late.

A little strength training, an active lifestyle, and better eating choices can have profound effects on one's fitness and health. These changes do not require endless hours in the weight room. Our fitness trainers at New Orleans Personal Trainers and at Austin TX Personal Training can guide you through an effective strength training program that will take less than an hour a week and achieve life-changing results.

More articles on bone density here.

Changes This New Year

I worked at quite a few different health clubs in my years in New Orleans. I am guessing that what goes on in New Orleans in no different than what goes on in other gyms around the country. In 34 years in the fitness business, this is what I have observed every January. The first two weeks, the gym is filled to capacity. There are a lot of new faces. I remember my first year working with a guy who was 290 pounds. He told me he would be doing the butterfly across the pool in six months. He came into gym for hours every single night for five nights in a row. The next week I didn't see him, and I never saw him again. The second two weeks, the gym thins out a bit. The second month, things are pretty much back to normal. There are the same faces you see the year round, plus there are some new faces.

The average renewal rate at health clubs is 30%. Those who use the club regularly are about 30% of the membership. The average stay with a personal trainer is about six months. People have good intentions, but very few people stay for the long haul. They have high expectations. When those expectations are not met they get frustrated and quit. They return to their former lifestyles.

They got out of shape gradually. One can easily gain five pounds of fat a year. Five pounds of fat for 20 years is easy enough to do. Pretty soon a 180 pound male will be 280 pounds and living a compromised lifestyle. During that 20 year period there were probably attempts to lose weight.

Try reversing the trend gradually. Lose 1 to 2 pounds of fat a month. Strength train once or twice a week for 25 minutes. Commit to sprint training on a stationary bike 8 to 15 minutes twice maybe three times a week. This will take a little over an hour of your time a week. Make modest changes in your eating.

A year from now you will have a lower resting pulse, lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, you will be 15 to 20 pounds lighter, you will be wearing different clothes, you will look better, you will not tire as easily, and best of all you will feel much better. You could go for the big weight loss, but chances are you will gain it all back and then some.

Extraordinary Clients

The Olympics are just around the corner. It got me to thinking. Not everyone can be the best in the world, but they can do some surprising things. Some of our clients from our New Orleans and Austin locations:

Helen (New Orleans) 74 had both knees, both hips, and a partial shoulder replaced. She was a very active tennis player when she was younger. Strength training was the one form of exercise she enjoyed doing at 74.

Darcy (New Orleans) was given the green light to work out during her entire pregnancy. She really did. She worked out on a Thursday and had her baby the following Monday.

Sylvia (Austin) worked out with us until she past at the age of 95.

Laurence (New Orleans) finished well in the NYC Triathlon. He then started strength training with us. Three years later, he returned the NYC Triathlon and finished first in his age group by more than five minutes. He was the oldest in the age group 46- 50. He finished 24th overall.

Jack (New Orleans)75 had both knees replaced and continued to exercise. Four months after the second replacement he was able to get in and out of a bass boat unaided. He law partner five years his junior had the same procedure at the same time and was still using a walker to get around.

Tom (Austin) had a total shoulder replacement and was told that the most he could hope for was that he would be able to raise his arm to a horizontal position. After a year, he could lift his arm fully vertical over his head.

Debbie (New Orleans) had survived cancer and wanted to get stronger. I told her the workout might be difficult. She told me, "I survived cancer, I can do this". She did. She got cancer a second time and then Lupus, She survived both and continued to exercise.

Claire (New Oleans) worked out during her pregnancy. She reported that the deliver was easier than the previous one and within five weeks of delivery she was back to a size zero.

Carol (Austin) was diagnosed with oesteopenia at age 43. She has since increased her bone density to be osteopenia-free at age 66.

A dad (New Oleans) called me from the stadium In Baton Rouge after his son’s team had won the state championship in soccer. He said he wanted to thank me for helping turning his son into a man. I told him I had nothing to do with it. It would have happened anyway. The kid went on to be first in his class in college. I was fortunate to have such a client.

Leif (Austin) went from five insulin shots a day to one a week and lost 60 pounds.

JD (Austin) was a one of the first pilots to fly into Paris during the Liberation in WW2. In his late 80's he got inoperable cancer and was told he had six months to live. He continued to exercise for the next year and a half.

Some clients may not be a part of board sweep of history or have compelling physical stories. They are friends, often mentors to us, and no less important. We learn from all of them and look forward to seeing them each week. We are truly blessed to be in this business.

Going All Out Again

A series of injuries including a ruptured Achilles tendon resulted in nine month of no exercise - none. I didn’t even work for a couple of months. I started back lifting what I could handle and began a sprint training program three times a week on a stationary recumbent bike - 120 seconds warm-up followed by a 30 second all-out sprint followed by at 90 second easy recovery pace. Eventually I worked up to a total of eight sprints. If you can do more you are pacing yourself.

After the first sprint I was breathing so hard I was panicked and reeling. I had to get off the bike momentarily. Only through sheer willpower (Not really, more like embarrassment. Did I want my workout to be over after only 30 seconds?) was I able complete a second sprint and the reeling and panic returned. It was awful. My legs were throbbing several minutes afterwards as I lay writhing on the couch.

Did I mention that I was really out of shape? The beauty of being really out of shape is that the curve to the upside is really steep if one starts exercising and sticks with it. I did two more sessions that week and each session, while difficult, got easier. By the end of the second week, I had improved dramatically, the panic had subsided, and I had continued to up the RPMs each session and had added a couple more sprints. At the end of two months I was doing eight sprints at much higher RPMs than I had started without all the panic.

We got a new recumbent that had higher resistant levels so I upped the intensity, and I now do just four sprints three times a week plus the strength training session. That comes out to about an hour a week of training.

The results after six months:

My testosterone level was tested; it was up 35%

I have been on blood pressure meds for 30 years. My doctor eliminated one med and as the readings continued to fall cut the other in half. At one doctor's visit the BP reading was 108/ 68, so they took the other arm and it was 106/66 which was very low for me. He told me to continue doing what I was doing. I have been taking these dosages like forever. For him to cut back on these dosages is a really big thing. The doctor will be coming into facility sometime in January to exercise.

I am 30 pound lighter. Dieting concession - I consume all my calories within eight hours each day.

I am able to go all out at age 60 to reach my maximum pulse rate and beyond and not get knocked back on my heals prostrate on the couch, and turn around and do it again and again and the next day do it again.

I feel really good. I compare that to the panic and the reeling I felt after one 30 second sprint six months ago. It was chasing my daughter that caused me to rip my Achilles. I am by far better able to keep up with my young daughter. The difficult work was worth it.

At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we can help you gradually build up to a high intensity strength training or an aerobic high intensity training program 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.

Overtraining Part Two

Frankie was a fanatical exerciser. He exercised with a trainer four times a week for an hour before going to work. On the weekends he went for hours-long bike rides. He decided to give our training program a try, and I put him through a workout. He worked out hard. The last exercise was the chest press and he was spent. During the last couple of reps he made agonizing sounds like the Mel Gibson character in Braveheart – really unnecessary but it got him through to the end. It was a little bit scary.

I suspected that he was over-trained, so for the next few weeks I convinced him to train just once a week, and I put him through moderately intense sessions. Six week later I put him through the workout we did in our initial session. On the last exercise the chest press he completed the exercise without the dramatic Braveheart sounds of cry Freedom.

I showed him the weights he had lifted. The weights were heavier by a considerable amount. I informed him that the weight on the chest press was 20 pounds heavier, and he did the exercise a full 60 seconds longer sans Braveheart sounds. He was surprised; I was even surprised. It dawned on me that he was profoundly over-trained when he started. He had cut his training time by 87.5% and showed considerable improvement

He left and a little while later his buddy Dick Dale came in and asked what I did to Frankie. I said, “Why do you ask?” He told me that Frankie was talking to anyone in the coffee shop who would listen about the workout he had just completed.

Frankie, Annette, and Dick are pseudonyms of course but the events did happen. The astounding progress in the short time had nothing to do with effort but everything to do with adequate rest.

If you are not making consistent real improvement you are prolly not getting adequate rest. You can ruin two workouts if the second workout follows too soon after the first. Most people never get a handle on whether or not they are over-trained because their form is not consistently the same. They are not comparing apples to apples. Another reason is that the workout is constantly changing. Variety is good, but it can hide lack of improvement if there is not two identical workouts to compare.

You don't need to workout that hard. You just need to do a little more than your body is used to handling, and if given enough rest, your body will, as a form of self-protection, will make a positive adaptation. We can help you with the right dosage.

Through trial and error you can eventually find out what works. I spent years figuring it out. At Austin TX Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Trainers our personal trainers have developed a high intensity training program (HIT) with special attention paid to recovery to insure that the improvements are ongoing – our business depends on it. We cannot afford to have clients come in and ruin two workouts in a row by not being adequately recovered.

Overtraining Part One

Overtraining occurs when one trains too often, too long, too hard or any combination of these. Plenty of other factors in life can contribute as well such as lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and stress. Overtraining appears to build up slowly and can go unnoticed. When I first began training I was hell-bent on increasing the weights I lifted. I thought I was improving, but I was fooling myself. I’d change the cadence a bit, take an extra second rest between reps, ever so slightly decrease the range of motion, subtly cheat your way through the sticking point a ¼ second in order to complete the rep and voila I improved. On paper I continued to improve but I was gradually becoming increasingly over-trained. The end result is usually burn-out, injury or sickness. I had my share of that.

From what I have observed it take weeks to build up overtraining and weeks for it to dissipate. Example One:

Annette trained very hard once a week and never missed a workout. On the other days she swam at least a couple of times a week. She progressed regularly. After a while she started to struggle, the workouts became brutal but still she improved. One day she came in and did the first exercise, the leg press. She strained mightily but her time was 60 seconds less than last time. I had only increased the weight by two pounds. It is motivation crushing to train that hard and actually go backward.

I had her take a couple of weeks off, and she did a couple of moderate workouts without doing the leg press. After a five week period of recovery she returned to the leg press. Her time was a minute longer than the last outing. She could have done another rep and the set appeared easy. Brutally difficult exercise and regression or taking a break and improving without a Herculean effort? We decided on the latter.

Had we continued on the same path her weight would not have progressed past the 228 pounds she was doing. We lessened the frequency of the leg press and her improvement continued to the point that she was doing 300 pounds on the leg press.

Through trial and error you can eventually find out what constitutes sufficient recovery for your body. I spent years figuring it out. At Austin TX Personal Trainers and New Orleans Personal Trainers our personal trainers have developed a high intensity training program (HIT) with special attention paid to recovery to insure that the improvements are ongoing – our business depends on it.

More articles on recovery and overtraining HERE

To be continued with Example Two…

High intensity training better for coronary artery disease patients

Two groups of stable patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) regularly walked on treadmills three times a week for ten weeks. One group walked at high intensity (80-90% of VO2peak); the other groups walked at moderate intensity (50-60% of VO2peak)

The results from this study, High intensity aerobic interval exercise is superior to moderate intensity exercise for increasing aerobic capacity in patients with coronary artery disease were:

After training VO2peak increased by 17.9% (P=0.012) in the high intensity group and 7.9% (P=0.038) in the moderate intensity group. The training-induced adaptation was significantly higher in the high intensity group (P=0.011).

Their conclusion:

High intensity aerobic interval exercise is superior to moderate exercise for increasing VO2peak in stable CAD-patients.

At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we can help you gradually build up to a high intensity strength training or an aerobic high intensity training program 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.

Another blog entry on the subject:

Study: High Intensity training beneficial and safe for those with heart disease

Increased blood flow and lower BP with strength training

From this article Weight Training Has Unique Heart Benefits, Study Suggests:

“An acute bout of resistance exercise shows many favorable cardiovascular benefits and should therefore be considered as part of a daily exercise training program".

When compared to aerobic training resistance training resulted in increased blood flow to the limbs and a longer-lasting drop in blood pressure after exercise.

Another quote:

"Resistance exercise may offer greater benefits from the increases in blood flow to active muscles and could be implemented as companion to an aerobic training regimen, according to the new study".

Especially because of its ability to increase blood flow to active muscles, weight training could be a valuable companion to an aerobic training regimen. "This may be of greatest importance to women, as they can derive important weight-bearing benefits of resistance training to help prevent and/or treat osteoporosis,"

After strength training I find my blood pressure remains significantly lower for several hours. Presently my blood pressure is 128/72 four hours after exercise. The trouble is I can't do strength training every day and adequately recover from the stress to the muscles.

In place of the strength training I do high intensity sprints on a recumbent bike. With high intensity sprints you will activate your fast-twitch muscle associated with strength training, but you will not have the accompanying micro-trauma to the muscles that takes days to recover from. With the sprints you will tax your cardiovascular system and get your heart rate nears it maximum.

I have been doing the sprints for about four months three or four times a week along with the strength training. My doctor has taken me off one blood pressure medication and has cut back on the other. I have been taking BP meds for 33 years this is the lowest dosage I have been on in decades. I keep expecting to have my BP trend upwards but it hasn't. I will continue the training.

At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we can help you gradually build up to a high intensity strength training or sprint training program 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.

One year anniversary at our new New Orleans location

Has it really been over a year since we’ve moved the gym, renovated a building and changed our name? They say time flies when you are having fun...and it has because we are... Kelly Personal Training, nee Ultimate Fitness, is now located near the blossoming Freret St. corridor nestled in a beautiful uptown neighborhood . Our corner building was originally a grocery store. The large windows are still in place. In the early morning the sun rises on Danneel St. giving us a beautiful beginning to the day.

We may have changed our space but our mission is the same - to provide a safe, efficient way to improve life by becoming stronger. And we do it while having fun. Many of our “people” have been with us for years. Relationships have grown. We know about each others’ lives, favorite books, what was cooked or what restaurant was highlighted this week. Most of our trainers have been with us for over five years, a few over ten.

Every session is important, for us and for you. Our clients are deeply appreciated. Newcomers are met with a smile, a “good morning” or “good evening” then gently and expertly guided through their first workout. Quickly they transition from perhaps feeling like an anxious outsider to someone who belongs and is taken care of.

Upon entering the space for the first time theclient may notice how light and airy the gym feels. The A/C is pumping, keeping all of us comfortable. An elliptical, a rowing machine, treadmill and state-of-the-art recumbent bike are always available. What is absent are mirrors, loud music and a feeling of competition. Kelly Personal Training is a unique place of support, a place of familiarity and comfort, your place for strength.

We are more than a gym. We are a part of the neighborhood, the community, the city, and the lives of our clients. In Austin and New OrleansKelly Personal Training opens the door to your health through strength.

By Mary Lou Bensabat

Growing new brain cells by exercising

Regular exercise improves our ability to think and remember through the creation of new brain cells, a process known as neurogenesis.

From this NY Times article, How Testosterone May Alter the Brain After Exercise:

“A new study found that male sex hormones surge in the brain after exercise and could be helping to remodel the mind”.

They tested to see if rats produce the testosterone in the brain by shutting off production in the testes (castration). Further, some of the animals also were injected with a drug that negated the effects of testosterone produced by the brain. Some rats were not altered. They were then divided into groups, sedentary and active rats. The active rats exercise on treadmills for two weeks; the sedentary rats played video games (not really).

Quote from the article:

“They found that, compared with the sedentary animals, the running rats had significantly more of a potent testosterone derivative called
dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, in their brains. Even the brains of rats that had been castrated sloshed with DHT.

So the exercise had prompted increased production of the hormone…

In essence, exercise prompts the production of more DHT. And more DHT helps to create more new brain cells”.

And one last quote:

"Do women gain less brain benefit from exercise than men?

“It’s unlikely,” Dr. McEwen says. One reason that early experiments into exercise and neurogenesis tended to be performed in female rats was that “in rats, females exercise more than the males,” he said. “They’ll run for hours and keep running, even when they’re old.” Elderly males, in contrast, willingly quit working out. In those experiments, neurogenesis was plentiful in the female brains.

“It’s very probable that estrogen plays a role” like that of DHT in the female brain after exercise, Dr. McEwen says”.

It is worth noting that the exercise was classified as mild-intense, jogging or walking. Also worth noting that it has been established that more intenseexercise produces more testosterone than less intense exercise. It could be that intense exercise is better for brain remodeling, but that was not what was tested.

New Orleans Fitness Trainers

Austin Personal Training.

Study Asks: Does Exercise Benefit the Brain?

In a study two groups took a memory quiz. Then one group cycled to exhaustion in 30 minutes and the other group sat there. Their memories were then retested. The result:

“The exercised volunteers performed significantly better on the memory test than they had on their first try, while the volunteers who had rested did not
improve” – quote from the NY Times article How Exercise Benefits The Brain.

They also took blood samples throughout the experiment. They found that: “The cyclists had significantly higher levels of a protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is known to promote the health of nerve cells. The men who had sat quietly showed no comparable change in BDNF levels.”

In a Brazilian study published last month, “scientists found that after sedentary elderly rats ran for a mere five minutes or so several days a week for five weeks, a cascade of biochemical processes ignited in the memory center of their brains, culminating in increased production of BDNF molecules there. The old, exercised animals then performed almost as well as much younger rats on rodent memory tests.”

Add increased BDBF and improved brain health to the long list of benefits
that come from exercise, particularly high intensity intervals strength
training.

At New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training we can help you gradually build up to a high intensity regime that is safe, effective, and efficient for your age. Our oldest client is 88. Using such a program you can expect to feel better and have a dramatic improvement in your health.

Study: High Intensity training beneficial and safe for those with heart disease

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

Exercise and Brain Health

From the article Get Moving for a Health Brain in the September 2013 AARP Bulletin these quotes:

The latest research shows that cognitive decline is not inevitable…the brain continues to make new neurons and fine tune neural connections as we live…Aerobic exercise jumps-tarts that process and slashes your lifetime risk of Alzheimer’s’ in half and general dementia by 60 %.

And this:

Exercise boosts the flow of blood to the brain, spurring the release of what has been dubbed Miracle-Gro for the brain – brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This chemical stimulates the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, the area involved in memory, learning and the ability to plan and make decisions. BDNF also repairs cell damage and strengthens
synapses.

Is it to late to start if you are already older? According to the article No. Can aerobic activity cognitive benefit younger people? Absolutely, more on that in a later blog post. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we can help you gradually build up to a high intensity program that is safe, effective, and efficient for your age and it will have your breathing hard. Our oldest client is 88. Using such a program you can expect to feel better and have a dramatic improvement in your health.

Brief Bouts of High Intensity Training Improves Maximal Oxygen Uptake

From this study, Low-and High-Volume of Intensive Endurance Training Significantly Improves Maximal Oxygen Uptake after Ten Weeks of Training in Healthy Men comes this quote:

“Our study demonstrated that slightly overweight and healthy individuals only required brief, duration bouts of exercise with good effort three times a week, to produce large increases in VO2max and work economy and reduce blood pressure and fasting glucose levels.”

And this:

“The present study demonstrates that a relatively intense stimulus administered only once and for a relatively short duration can substantially improve VO2max and work economy. A single bout of 4-minute interval training three times per week will not solve all lifestyle-related problems for people already obese or overweight, and it is not the only solution for inactive persons with a BMI below 25.”

In the study one group of men performing just one high intensity session three times a week (walking, jogging, or running on a treadmill) for 10 weeks saw a VO2max increase of 10%, and the other group that did four sprints three times a week experienced a boost of 13%.

This protocol of four bursts is called the 4x4 12-minute workout. Other protocols are the Tabata protocol (20 seconds of intense work, followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight cycles), the Timmons protocol (20 seconds of cycling at total effort followed by 2 minutes of gentle cycling), and the Gibala protocol (60 seconds of work at 95% VO2max with 75 seconds of rest repeated for 8 to 12 cycles).

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.

High intensity activity affects fat loss

From this study, Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity and Weight Outcomes: Does Every Minute Count? comes this quote:

"What we learned is that for preventing weight gain, the intensity of the activity matters more than duration," says Jessie X. Fan, professor of family and consumer studies at the U. "This new understanding is important because fewer than 5 percent of American adults today achieve the recommended level of physical activity in a week according to the current physical activity guidelines. Knowing that even short bouts of 'brisk' activity can add up to a positive effect is an encouraging message for promoting better health."

The recommended number of minutes of exercise a week is 150 minutes. Fewer than five percent of American adults today achieve the recommended level of physical activity in a week. The recommended program might be a great program, but if next to nobody does it what good is it? People exercising with greater intensity for far less than the recommended 150 weekly minutes have achieved really amazing results.

At Austin 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. Our oldest client is 88. Using such a program you can expect to feel better and have a dramatic improvement in your health.

HIT exercise lowers cognitive decline in older women

From this study, Effects of aerobic exercise on mild cognitive impairment: a controlled trial this quote:

“Six months of high-intensity aerobic exercise had sex-specific effects on cognition… aerobic exercise improved performance on multiple tests of executive function, increased glucose disposal during the metabolic clamp, and reduced fasting plasma levels of insulin, cortisol, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.”

The sixteen men in the study did not achieve the same positive cognitive results. They postulated that the difference was possibly because the body's use of and production of cortisol, insulin, and glucose differed in women and men. Regardless, the long list of positive changes resulting for high intensity exercise makes it worth the investment of one’s time.

All participants exercised at 75% to 85% of heart rate reserve and mean age of the group was 70 years old with the oldest being 85. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we work with people of all ages in a high intensity fashion. High intensity varies by individual depending on their level of fitness. For those who are older the bar need not be that high to achieve high intensity exercise. To produce change you need to expose the body to more that it is used to handling.

We follow a simple protocol: Safely expose the body to more exercise than it is used to handling (longer duration, a greater distance, a quicker pace, or more weight lifted). Allow enough time for recovery and rebuilding. The body will then make a positive adaptation as an act of self-protection. When done correctly the human body is the only engine that improves with use rather than wearing down.

Studys Shows That HIT Exercise Lowers Blood Pressure

From this study, High-intensity interval training and hypertension: maximizing the benefits of exercise?:

"Several studies have shown that high-intensity interval training (HIT), which consists of several bouts of high-intensity exercise (~85% to 95% of HRMAX and/or VO2MAX lasting 1 to 4 min interspersed with intervals of rest or active recovery, is superior to Continuous moderate-intensity exercise training CMT for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, endothelial function and its markers, insulin sensitivity, markers of sympathetic activity and arterial stiffness in hypertensive and normotensive at high familial risk for hypertension subjects. This compelling evidence suggesting larger beneficial effects of HIT for several factors involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension raises the hypothesis that HIT may be more effective for preventing and controlling hypertension."

I have been on high blood pressure medication for over 30 years. For the past few years it has taken two blood pressure meds to keep my blood pressure under control. My doctor agreed to take me off one of the meds as long as I monitored it, and I started to exercise again after an eight month hiatus.

I did strength training and did sprint training on a recumbent bike. Both were done in a high intensity fashion - periods of high intensity work with short recovery periods in between. Both acheive 85% to 95% of a heart rate maximum.

I have been checking my blood pressure several times a day for the last six weeks. I shared the numbers with my doctor and he is pleased. We even discussed the possiblity of cutting back the dosage of the remaining medication.

Done correctly both, HIT strength training and HIT using aerobic equipment, will get one's heart rate up near the maximum for one's age. We can show you how to both at Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers. Both are safe, effective, and efficient. Using such a program you can expect to feel better and have a dramatic improvement in your health.

How Much Of Difference Can Three Minutes Of Exercise A Week Make?

How much difference can three minutes of exercise a week make? it turns out quite a lot. How can that be? From this article, Can three minutes of exercise a week help make you fit?, comes this quote:

"part of the explanation is (probably) that HIT uses far more of our muscle tissue than classic aerobic exercise.

When you do HIT, you are using not just the leg muscles, but also the upper body including arms and shoulders, so that 80% of the body's muscle cells are activated, compared to 20-40% for walking or moderate intensity jogging or cycling.

Active exercise also seems to be needed to break down the body's stores of glucose, deposited in your muscles as a substance called glycogen. Smash up these glycogen stores and you create room for more glucose to be sucked out of the blood and stored."

HIT stands for high intensity training. HIT can be done on most types aerobic equipment. HIT for strength produces similar results. HIT strength training is a series of high intensity weight lifting exercises with short rests in between. Done correctly both, HIT strength training and HIT using aerobic equipment, will get one's heart rate up near the maximum for one's age.

We can show you how to both at Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers. Both are safe, effective, and efficient. Using such a program you can expect to feel better and have a dramatic improvement in you health.

High-intensity intermittent exercise effectively burns fat

From the Journal of Obesity from this study, High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss comes this quote:

“The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible; however, other forms of exercise may have a greater impact on body composition. For example, emerging research examining high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise.”

And this quote:

“Regular HIIE produces significant increases in aerobic and anaerobic fitness and brings about significant skeletal muscle adaptations that are oxidative and glycolytic in nature. HIIE appears to have a dramatic acute and chronic effect on insulin sensitivity.”

The study goes on to say that the results are promising but more studies are needed. They study states that aerobic exercise has little effect on body fat, and that the potential for fat loss high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) is promising. There is a long list know benefits (see recent posts) plus potential benefits. That is good enough to start incorporating HIIE into a training training regimen.

High-intensity intermittent exercise is brief, intense exercise training with short rests in between the intense bouts of exercise. This can be accomplished on aerobic equipment or by doing a series of strength training exercises. We can show you how to both at New Orleans Fitness Trainersand at Austin Personal Training Both are safe, effective, and efficient. You won't need to spend hours in the gym.

Long distance running lowers testosterone; sprint training increases it

From This study, Effect of altered reproductive function and lowered testosterone levels on bone density in male endurance athletes: "Relatively short duration exercise bouts at maximum or near maximum intensity appear to increase serum testosterone levels, with measurable changes evident within minutes. However, with prolonged acute submaximal exercise bouts of approximately two hours or longer, suppression of circulating testosterone is noted which may remain for several days. "

You will likely lower your testosterone level if you run great distances, and you can raise your testosterone by doing all-out sprints. Sprints might not be an option for those with old injuries. I am eight months out from a torn Achilles tendon. My tendon is not quite right and never will be. I also run a 15 % probability of re-injuring it. I have no problem going all out on a recumbent bike and can elevate my pulse to my maximum after just a few sprints.

Sprints are very demanding but they are of short duration. A similar result can be obtained by doing high intensity strength training which is also demanding but short in duration. We can show you how to do both at New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training.