A HIT of A Different Kind

In the last 2 weeks of winter, frustrated with not being able to get a cardio workout (on account of the hideous outside conditions coupled with my abhorrence of gyms), I dusted off my ancient x-country skis and went out with my buddy, Jerry to our local x-country ski trail. Jerry is a guy who is in pretty good shape-- he thinks nothing of biking 65 kilometres for a leisurely afternoon ride. When I ride with him (well "with" is probably not the right word) I am waaaay behind-- he goes his pace, (I encourage that so he won't get bored and want to blow his brains out) and I struggle to keep up by going my speed and then giving it big bursts of energy. And guess what-- that is what x-country skiing was like... glide glide glide and then give it all you got so you wouldn't lose sight of Jerry. (He's really a decent and lovely man, and does wait for me, so I do have a chance to catch my breath from time to time). And I realized what I was doing, (inadvertently), was what is called High Intensity Interval Training or HIT.

                                              And now that spring has sprung,

 

Well at least my tulips have sprung

  

I have continued that idea into my running routine by brisk walking/jogging for a minute (ok maybe two, three tops) and then sprinting all out for say 15 seconds, then repeat over a 30 minute time span. And you know how when you buy a Camry say, and then you start seeing Camrys everywhere you look-- well in the last week I have seen three articles on HIT.  It's everywhere! According to Eric Sullivan of GQ magazine: "The concept behind HIT is simple: Exercise as hard as you can for a few minutes, recover just long enough to stop sucking wind, and repeat. This spikes your metabolism and builds muscle quickly".  It also apparently burns more calories and continues to burn calories for up to a 24 hour period.  (What if you are chowing down on a bag of Miss Vickies, during that 24 hours? Are you still burning calories, I wonder?)

In the article in the Globe and Mail, Margarete Webb writes about HIT-type workouts being a "powerful medicine for stalling aging". WHOA- what's that you say? It's true.  Apparently this type of exercise "prompts the body to secrete growth hormone-- often called youth hormone; it helps control body weight and rejuvenates the muscles and connective tissue...".  Say no more. I am there-- I want to be there, I will be there. You are supposed to, I have learned, do at least a minute on, a minute off.  But  do you mind, it is well, intense and really hard to go all out for even 15 seconds, at least for me.

Another tidbit I have learned is that  according to a McMaster University study a mere "18 minutes a week (excluding warm up and cool down) can deliver many of  the  health benefits of 5 hours of  sustained moderate exercise." Why have I been wasting my time? This HIT is definitely for me!