“Every blade of grass is a study; and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure.” – Abraham Lincoln
Prolific researcher and well known exercise physiologist, David Nieman, DrPh, FACSM, has given us another window into heart healthy weight-loss, assuming we manage our diet properly, and we’re up for the challenge. The key, he says, is “vigorous” exercise:
“What matters is exercising at a high, unrelenting intensity for a prolonged period of time,” he said. “Vigorous sweat gets the hormones cycling and can alter the body’s temperature and ability to store fuel. It takes a long time for the body to get back to normal.”
This reaffirms previous research (hence “every blade of grass”) stating that we continue to burn calories long after we exercise, as long as the workout is “vigorous.”
More from Honest Abe: “Things may come to those who wait… but only the things left by those who hustle.”
In other words, sometimes, slow and steady isn’t the best option. Persistence, yes; resolve, absolutely. All exercise matters and the more we move, the better off we are, in countless ways. Sustained weight loss however, may hinge on that extra effort where slow isn’t our friend. Vigorous exercise is defined as accelerated breathing, breaking a sweat and an elevated heart rate (about 75% of your maximum capability – your max is the number 220 minus your age).
Neiman’s latest work showed that people can continue to burn extra calories up to 14 hours after a 45-minute vigorous workout – much longer than previously thought. You’ll likely burn about 500 calories during those wild and wooly 45 minutes. You could get another 150-200 in post-exercise burn!
Therefore, if you’ve got 45 minutes to spare and weight loss or high intensity training is your goal, make it count. Kick up the sweat and the heart rate (as long as your health care provider gives you the okay sign). Be sure to maintain your regular walks, stretching and strength training to keep your body well rounded and ready for everyday life. Just don’t be shy about mixing up your routine with some heavy breathing.
Be Unrelenting!
See below for an exercise from Olga to add to your “boot camp” coffers.
You in Your Workplace:
To pump up people’s vigorous side we have two ideas:
- Expose them to classes that might push them such as kickboxing, Zumba, boot camp, Cross Fit or Body Pump
- Make your stairwell, if applicable, a great place to explore. Even 10-20 minutes of hard work on the stairs can boost caloric burn in theory. Showers at work are helpful too, allowing people to come back to their duties clean.
Though we know some of these suggestions are a luxury, we believe putting out ideas can spark creativity.
“The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.” – also Abe Lincoln! (It is his birthday week after all!)
See you on the PATH Ahead
Circle Squats
Stand with your feet wide and your toes angled out slightly. Holding a dumbbell place your arms down in front of you. Squat down (watch that your knees don’t go past your toes) lowering the dumbell toward the ground. Circle the dumbbell around your left side and up and over to your right. As you do so, straighten up your body and lift your right knee toward the dumbbell. Squat back down slowly and return the dumbbell to start position. Repeat, circling the opposite direction.