Did you know only a few minutes is enough to get fit?
Let’s face it, time is a factor for most everyone in today’s modern society. The body is made for movement but most Americans are sedentary for a large majority of the day. With a background in Athletic Training, I am constantly reading up on the latest regimes being tested on the best way to exercise, whether its to improve strength, endurance, muscle tone, speed, or simply improving overall health and well being.
Over time, an inactive lifestyle can be debilitating especially as the body ages. Interestingly, science has long ascertained that time is not the problem, rather its commitment and consistency. Some call it a lack of discipline. I like to think that we all are disciplined in what we prioritize as important. Over time, however, if we neglect our body it will not be able to perform the way we need it to, which gets increasingly important as we age. So how do we prioritize fitness in to our lives which are already so full? The good news is that not so much time is needed as previously believed. In fact, a relatively new study shows that a short routine performed to total muscle failure for short intervals (a mere 13 minutes) will provide as much muscle building benefit as a routine of long intervals (1 hour or longer) of set repetitions. In other words, in lieu of lifting in sets of 6 – 12, studies show that lifting one set while performing as many reps as possible to the point of exhaustion builds muscle as effectively in a fraction of the time. Performed three days per week over the course of eight weeks, the results show that the shorter high intensity program is just as beneficial as long workouts. The author told New York Times that you can improve your strength with one set of lifts as long as you are straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion. Along with many similar approaches, this is often referred to as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and is a very effective methodology to build muscle while minimizing the time investment. While not everyone is in close proximity to a gym, another cutting edge HIIT exercise program has been developed by Dr. Zach Bush requiring about the same amount of time (three to four minutes three times per day) but not using weights or machines, only movements of the body itself.
Called the Nitric Oxide Dump this is an easy routine to accommodate even the busiest of schedules requiring no trips to the gym, just willingness and participation. Now one of the latest trends, this short activity produces a nitric-oxide dump to support healthy blood flow and promote heart health by dilating veins and arteries while increasing the delivery of important nutrients and oxygen to the body. Done in repetitions of 10, with three sets each, the Nitric Oxide Dump involves only four movements: (1) squats, (2) alternating arm raises, (3) non-jumping jacks and (4) shoulder presses. Performed three times per day with at least two hours between each session, this is a quick and simple way to slow down muscle decline that comes with age. “….Working each major muscle group out for 90 seconds,” says Dr. Zach Bush, “gives you the most efficient workout to tone and build muscles.”1 Beyond that, a nitric-oxide dump helps to promote healthy endothelial function and ‘plays a protective role in your mitochondrial health, the energy storehouse of your cells, responsible for the utilization of energy for all metabolic functions. Even your skeletal muscle, which is made up of only about 1 percent to 2 percent mitochondria, depend on these energy powerhouses to fuel your daily movements.’ 2
With this new information comes relief, we can be fit no matter how busy our lives. Begin by removing the work from your fitness vocabulary and instead think of it as activity. After all, the body is made to move.
Check out Dr. Bush’s video here and begin your 4 minute routine now.
As you age, you can slow down muscle loss and encourage muscle growth instead. Consistency is the key. See for yourself the difference in how you feel at the end of just one week of this simple program. Feel free to be creative to adjust the program to meet your personal fitness levels modifying these exercises as necessary. For instance, you might employ different muscle groups altogether, add handheld weights, increase or decrease reps or speed etc. The idea of HIIT is high intensity for short intervals in a way that is safe, easy and effective for you.
Have fun, be blissed and keep it easy!
Sources
Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, Grgic J, Delcastillo K, Belliard R, Alto A. (2019 January 5) Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men.Med Sci Sports Exercise.:94-103. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30153194
1Bush. (2017, September 5). 4 Minute Workout [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwJCJToQmps&feature=youtu.be
2Mercola, (2018 January 5). Incorporate the Nitric Oxide Dump, Peak Fitness Dr. Mercola’s Natural Health Newsletter. Retrieved from https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2018/01/05/four-minute-nitric-oxide-dump-workout.aspx
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