Catching your breath

Intense training that includes rest reverses aging.

If you can’t catch your breath, you’re doing it right. HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is an exercise program that focuses on an intense, all-out workout. The secret to HIIT is short bursts of energy followed by quick recovery periods, for example, forty seconds of cardio and then twenty seconds of rest. Intense workouts last no longer than thirty minutes. One study found that HIIT reverses aging at the cellular level.

Sedentary adults in two age groups, 18 to 30 years old and 65 to 80 years old, spent 12 weeks doing HIIT exercises. The older group increased their mitochondrial capacity by 69%. The mitochondrion is a cell that helps take in oxygen and produce energy. Older people lose this cellular function as they age. Essentially, our body’s health depends on mitochondrial functions. Remember, if you’re not working your hardest, you’re not doing HIIT. Work hard to stay young.