Interval training for amateur athletes with little time

Interval training should have similar effects on health as endurance training

05/06/2013

Short, intense interval training with breaks should according to data from the German University for Prevention and Health Management / BSA Academy in Saarbrücken have a similar effect on health as a 30- to 40-minute endurance run. The so-called High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) should be especially interesting for people with little time.

Stay fit through interval training
For working people and other people with little time, it is often difficult to integrate sport into their everyday lives. To stay fit, the time-saving high-intensity interval training (HITT), in which short, violent stress phases alternate with repeated breaks is suitable. „For example, running for 30 seconds at a sprint speed or riding a bike, then taking a break of one and a half minutes, then again run fast for 30 seconds, "explained Harald Gärtner from the German University for Prevention and Health Management / BSA Academy in Saarbrücken to the news agency „dpa“. „After a total of six times 30 seconds, the training is already over.“

The decisive advantage of this training is besides the time savings the positive effect on the health. The short but fierce units would have a similarly positive effect as a 30- to 40-minute endurance training, says Gärtner. „That this type of training has been neglected for so long, is because it was assumed that it was only interesting for competitive athletes.“ Meanwhile, however, some studies have been conducted on the subject, which demonstrated that interval training is also well suited for recreational athletes. „Above all, the time savings compared to a classic endurance training is enormous: Two to a maximum of three short HIIT a week is enough, "said Gärtner.

The expert advises newcomers to be checked by a doctor before starting the training. „As with any other form of training, it is advisable for beginners to be supported by a trainer who is specially qualified for this type of training, "says Gärtner.

Interval training makes you smart
At the end of last year, Canadian researchers presented their pilot study, which looked at how regular training affects both physical and cognitive abilities. The six overweight and previously unsportsmanlike volunteers had to undergo an intensive interval training twice a week. As it turned out, the sports program not only improved the stamina of the study participants but also their mental fitness. During the four-month study period, brain oxygenation, among other things, was measured, which increased as a result of increased activity due to increased activity in the blood. Researchers concluded that improved mental performance is primarily related to increased oxygenation. Martin Juneau from the Montreal Heart Institute, one of the authors of the study, pointed out that athletic people often report that they feel physically as well as mentally fit. Now, a scientific proof has been provided.

Above all, middle-aged adults can prevent or at least slow down the age-related reduction of their cognitive performance through regular physical activity. Sport, in addition to a healthy diet, can help prevent circulatory disorders in the brain and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. (Ag)

Image: Stephanie Hofschlaeger