Mastering Midlife Fitness: The Efficiency of HIIT and the Art of Exercise Snacking
Being busy in midlife can make finding the time to train challenging.
You want to stay in shape, have more energy, and feel strong, fit, flexible and capable.
Let's be honest. Things are slightly different beyond 40—lack of sleep, high stress, a demanding schedule, and a general lack of time.
Weight gain, fatigue, joint pain, and the like all start to creep up on you.
It can leave you feeling worried about your physical health.
Where do you start?
If you’ve got limited time, what's going to be bang for your buck when it comes to training?
The public health guidelines suggest that we should be exercising for 150 minutes (2.5 hours) per week. Although these guidelines are based on sound science, they’re not the most efficient and effective training method.
There are loads of studies that suggest different training volumes, intensities, and frequencies that can deliver outstanding results. There isn’t a single “best way to train.”
The best training program is the one that you can consistently stick too.
If you don't have 45- 60 minutes in your week to dedicate to training, that’s OK. You can still fit in an effective workout in less time.
Exercise is one of the most powerful interventions to prevent and sometimes reverse chronic disease. Yet, it's drastically under-utilised by the medical system (they'd much rather put you on a pharmaceutical drug for the rest of your life. Drugs that come with countless side effects).
No matter where you are on your health and fitness journey, physical activity will always have a positive impact, even if it's just walking regularly.
It's also important to remember that how you train in your 40s and beyond isn’t the same as how you might have trained in your 20s and 30s.
Don't try to compare yourself with a younger version of yourself or even to others.
Your Beyond 40 health and fitness journey is about where you are now and who you want to become as you move forward.
Remember that the best form of exercise is the one you can stay consistent with, supporting your health, happiness and longevity goals.
If you are looking for the “best bang for your buck” time-efficient ways to train, then High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will be key.
High-Intensity Intervals Training (HIIT)
HIIT training dates back to the early 1960s. It's been a big part of the fitness industry as it's great for burning fat, building strength, increasing fitness levels (VO2max) and more.
Side note: VO2 max – a reflection of your body's ability to utilise oxygen during exercise – is considered one of the best indicators of your cardiorespiratory fitness.
Higher cardiorespiratory levels, measured by VO2 max, have been consistently linked to reduced mortality risk and longer lifespan. Dr Rhonda Patric talks about VO2Max and longevity here:
The Generation 100 Study is the world's most extensive study on how older adults should exercise for the most significant health benefits. As shown in this video, the principal results suggest that elderly people should perform high-intensity interval training.
If you're interested in testing your VO2max at home, you can use the 12-minute Cooper Test, where you need to run/walk on a flat surface as far as possible in 12 minutes.
A wide variety of HIIT training protocols has been shown to have health benefits for cardiovascular disease patients, people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome and other health conditions.
Research has shown that HIIT enhances liver and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity independent of body weight and adiposity, particularly in those at risk of T2D.
The best protocol and modality for HIIT can vary depending on the individual.
People with cardiovascular disease or HIIT beginners might use repeated 60-second walking intervals. In contrast, people with more HIIT experience might perform 30-second hill sprints or circuits combining weightlifting, kettlebells, battle ropes, body weight exercises, and cardio (run, cycle, row).
Studies have shown that interval training is superior to continuous steady-state cardio for boosting cardiovascular vascular fitness, burning fat, and improving blood sugar levels.
Even if you are walking, it's best to do intervals.
No matter your fitness level, there's always a way to utilise HIT to increase your heart rate, get the blood pumping, and reap the health benefits.
Intensity is key, where the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is often used.
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
When performing HITT, we want to pay attention to the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
RPE is a subjective measure of exercise intensity, assessed on a scale from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (sprinting to save a child from an oncoming car).
This scale allows each individual to gauge how hard they feel working during physical activity based on their perception.
Factors such as heart rate, breathing, and muscle fatigue are often considered when choosing the level of RPE.
The shorter the interval, the higher the RPE can be. We can sprint at height RPE when the interval is short, say 10 seconds. Meanwhile, sprinting for longer intervals, say 2 minutes, must be at a lower RPE.
RPE is a simple and subjective way to monitor exercise intensity, and it’s especially useful when objective measures like heart rate monitors are not available.
Examples of HITT Workouts
One of the best things about HIT training is the short duration.
You don't need to dedicate much time to training because it’s all about the intensity.
Here are some HIIT protocols:
4min Tabata: (4mins of (4 x :20sec High RPE + :10sec Low RPE)
8-25minutes 1-minute on/1-minute off
12-24minutes 90sec on/90sec off training protocols
16-20minutes 2-minute on/2-minute off training protocols
25min Norwegian 4 x 4: (4 x 4min bouts at intensities eliciting 85–95% maximal heart rate (HRmax) interspersed with 3 min active recovery at 70% HR max.)
Note: Don't forget to do a proper warm-up before you start any HIIT protocol.
Is doing more HIIT better?
Doing more isn't always better. Doing short, intense 20-30 minute training sessions 3-4 times per week is sufficient for most people and the results they want to achieve.
It's easy to get addicted to the endorphins produced by HITT training. It gets to a point where you feel amazing after a HITT workout.
I get it.
But doing HIIT 5-6 days a week can lead to overtraining, negatively impacting your health.
Exercise is a physical stress that our bodies must adapt to and recover from. Nutrition, sleep quality and quantity, and stress levels all have a key role to play in recovery.
If you're not getting enough sleep, have a stressful lifestyle, and are not eating enough nutrient-dense food, adding more stress to your body by overtraining isn’t going to create positive results.
If you struggle to find 30-60mins in your busy schedule, try exercise snacking.
Exercise Snacking
If you read Tim Ferries’s 4-Hour Body, you might know about exercise snacking. Ferris didn't use this term, but he did write about the benefits of doing intermittent bouts of push-ups, squats, or walking throughout the day.
Exercise snacking refers to incorporating short bouts of physical activity into your daily routine, much like you would consume small, nutritious snacks throughout the day.
Instead of engaging in a single, prolonged workout session, exercise snacking involves brief and intense bursts, often lasting just a few minutes.
Exercise snacking aims to accumulate the recommended daily physical activity in smaller, more manageable chunks.
This approach can be particularly beneficial for individuals who have busy schedules and find it challenging to set aside dedicated time for traditional exercise.
Exercise snaking may be superior in managing blood sugar levels and blood pressure as opposed to a more extended exercise session.
Walking to and from work, taking the stairs, doing 20 body-weight squats or walking lunges on your way to your next meeting can be a simple way to add short bursts of exercise into you day.
Summary
In midlife, the challenge of staying fit amid a busy schedule, stress, and health concerns leaves us to question what is the best way to exercise?
While public health guidelines recommend 150 minutes of weekly exercise, the efficiency of this method is questioned. High-intensity interval Training (HIIT) emerges as a time-efficient solution, backed by research such as the Generation 100 Study, showing its benefits for older adults.
Understanding the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is crucial in HIIT, enabling individuals to gauge and adjust intensity based on their perception. Short-duration HIIT protocols offer effective options for those with limited time, emphasising quality over quantity.
For those struggling to allocate extended workout time, the concept of "exercise snacking" can be useful—short, intense bursts of activity throughout the day to accumulate recommended daily physical activity in smaller, more manageable chunks.
In midlife, the focus shifts to embracing the current journey, recognising that the best form of exercise is the one that can be consistently maintained to support health, happiness, and longevity goals.
Success is achieved when you put a SUSTAINABLE training program to follow.
Given your busy lifestyle, it’s crucial that what you eat, how you move, and your lifestyle choices reflect who you want to become.
You may have tried different diets, health hacks, and trendy ‘get lean’ quick schemes, only to realise that the benefits are short-lived.
What you need is something different.
You want to build a plan that fits YOUR lifestyle.
So, if you want to stay in shape, improve low energy (and libido), manage chronic health conditions
Book a no-obligation 45-minute discovery call to see how a sustainable training program can work for you.
