I see dozens of overweight joggers who are obviously convinced that jogging will help them burn more fat. In reality, it’s very ineffective.
Instead of running for 15, 30 or even 45 minutes multiple times per week, someone who wants to burn more fat should do HIIT (high intensity interval training) for about one hour every week. I call them SHASHIDO BURSTS.
That’s not a typo.
Less than one hour a week of high intensity, short duration exercise is not only enough to increase your fat burning without hurting your adrenals — it also has a ton of side benefits, like:
1) Increasing cardiovascular health
In a study from the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal, HIIT was shown to be 30% more effective in improving cardiovascular health than continuous moderate exercise over the same period of time.
In other words, you get 30% more bang for your buck for each minute you spend doing intense but short exercise.
2) Reducing blood pressure
Research out of the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at the University of Science and Technology in Norway showed that 12 weeks of HIIT reduced systolic blood pressure by an average of 12mmHG and diastolic blood pressure by 8mmHG.
3) Reducing your risk of stroke
HIIT training reduced biomarkers associated with an increased risk of stroke by 20% in one study.
4) Reducing cholesterol levels
Who needs statins when yet another study showed that as little as 8 weeks of HIIT reduced cholesterol levels by as much as 18% in young men?
5) Control blood sugar
The positive effects that HIIT on blood sugar seem to show up as little as 24 hours after you work out. A team of researchers in Canada recently showed that blood glucose levels dropped 14% 24 hours after a HIIT workout, and the participants in the study showed a 30% decrease in blood glucose following their next three meals compared to pre-training values.
6) Improve memory, reduce risks of Alzheimer’s
Think exercise only impacts your body? Think again… The types of intense workouts in SHASHIDO BURSTS enhance your memory and cognitive performance as well.
HIIT has been shown to
• Increase your attention span by 150%
• Improves long-term memory by 19% and short-term memory by 24%
• People with cognitive impairment who undertook 18 months of HIIT saw a 74% improvement in memory
7) Reduce joint pain and arthritis
People with severe pain often avoid all exercise, but that’s a mistake.
I recommend doing as much as you CAN. That doesn’t mean you should push yourself to the point where you have pain, but I strongly encourage people to modify the exercises where necessary to fit your needs.
Interestingly, some new research supports this idea that people with pain may improve with exercise.
A study published earlier this year showed that women with rheumatoid arthritis who engaged in HIIT training showed a 12.2% increase in oxygen levels, 2.9% increase in heart rate recovery, and a reduction in inflammatory markers (which is what drive conditions like arthritis) by a whopping 41.9% all without an increase in disease activity or pain.
How can I put this…
High intensity is faster.
High intensity is less stressful to your thyroid and adrenals. It helps you burn more fat, and won’t wear out your joints as much as long duration cardio.
It makes your heart stronger. It helps you get your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol under control.
So here’s the deal. If your #1 goal this year is to lose weight — understand that HIIT is the way to go. You really have to try it to experience how dramatic its effects can be.
And while SHASHIDO BURSTS is no magic bullet, it’s a solid program when it comes to burning as much fat as possible while staying healthy — at any age or fitness level.
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