To Your Health
February, 2012 (Vol. 06, Issue 02) |
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Interval Training Good For Your Heart
Intervals, or repeated, short, sharp bursts of strenuous activity, interspersed with rest periods can improve your heart and overall health, researchers found out recently.
Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, recently gathered several groups of volunteers. One consisted of sedentary but generally healthy middle-aged men and women. Another was composed of middle-aged and older patients who'd been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
The researchers tested each volunteer's maximum heart rate and peak power output on a stationary bicycle. All of them were told to exercise exclusively with intervals.
Intervals are known for the one-minute strenuous exercise that often hits about 90 percent of a person's maximum heart rate, followed by a one-minute recovery over the course of a workout.
Both of the groups that participated ended up showing significant improvements in heart and overall health, according to researchers.
Some of those benefits included the functioning of blood vessels and the heart. To get this type of result, some of the exercise can be pedaling a stationary bicycle or sprinting uphill for one minute, aiming to raise your heart rate to about 90 percent of your maximum. Pedal or jog easily downhill for a minute and repeat nine times, perhaps twice a week.
If you are interested in improving your cardiac health, talk to your chiropractor about starting any exercise program.
