If you have been reading my blog over the years I have written several posts about how we are aging our bodies. You age your body by neglecting to do the maintenance. And what does that mean? We don't try and keep your muscles strong and we don't try to feed your body the nutrition it needs. So what happens? We die at an early age.
Medical science doesn't know how long humans can live. A private company is doing research now to see if humans can live to 150. Some researchers think humans can live to 200, but no studies have been done. So there's much controversy and the only thing they all agree on is that we are killing ourselves by not taking care of our bodies. We only get one body and a doctor can do simple things like setting a bone but when it comes to illnesses and diseases, doctors can basically just treat the symptoms.
High-intensity exercise may help older adults reverse certain aspects of the "cellular" aging process, a new study suggests.
It's no secret that regular exercise is healthy for young and old alike. But researchers said the new findings point to particular benefits from "high-intensity interval training" for older adults.
That's the type of workout that combines brief bursts of vigorous exercise with periods of moderate activity: A person might, for example, go all-out on a stationary bike for a few minutes, ease up for the next few, and then start again.
In this study, older adults who performed that type of exercise showed greater changes at the cellular level, compared to those who worked out more moderately.
Specifically, interval training gave a bigger boost to mitochondrial function in the muscle. Mitochondria are the "powerhouses" within body cells that break down nutrients to be used for energy.
The training also revved up activity in more genes related to mitochondrial function and muscle growth.
What does it all mean?
The study findings suggest that interval training can turn back the clock in ways that moderate aerobic exercise and strength training do not, according to lead researcher Dr. K. Sreekumaran Nair.
But, he stressed, the findings do not mean older adults should jump into a vigorous exercise regimen.
"If you're sedentary, you should talk to your doctor before you start exercising," said Nair. He's an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"And then," he said, "you can start with walking, and build yourself up to a fast pace."
Interval Training is how I lost my excess body fat and I was a skeptic but using a stationary bike and doing interval training was the best way for me. I will tell you that I was in good shape before I started on the bike. Even though I'm 72 now, I was doing aerobic exercise but I wasn't losing fat. When I read about interval training I decided to try it. I could do my whole workout at the same time and the results were better. After I lost the excess fat I felt much better with more energy and fewer aches and pains.
For older adults who want to progress to a more intense regimen, Nair said, it's best to start with supervision. You don't want to injury yourself at any age. But it is a fact that seniors will need more time to recoup from injuries. But he also stressed that intense exercise is not a must. "Any regular exercise will bring health benefits -- absolutely," he added.
Even though interval training had the biggest effects on aspects of cellular aging, other types of exercise boosted older adults' fitness levels and muscle strength.
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