HIIT Workouts Benefit Adults Over 65
New research shows high-intensity interval training promotes fat loss while preserving muscle for people over 65. HIIT's time efficiency and adaptability make it accessible across fitness levels, potentially encouraging older adults to incorporate intense exercise bursts into routines.
- The research was led by Dr. Grace Rose, an exercise physiologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and published in the journal *Maturitas*. - The six-month study involved more than 120 healthy participants with an average age of 72. - While both high-intensity and moderate-intensity workouts led to a reduction in body fat, the study found that moderate-intensity training also caused a small decline in lean muscle mass, a loss that did not occur in the HIIT group. - Researchers theorize HIIT signals the body to preserve muscle tissue by placing greater stress on the muscles compared to less intense forms of exercise. - Beyond body composition, other studies have shown HIIT can reverse the age-related decline in muscle cells at a cellular level by improving the function of mitochondria, the energy producers in cells. - A Norwegian study that followed participants for five years found that seniors who engaged in twice-weekly HIIT workouts had lower mortality rates from all causes compared to those doing moderate exercise. - Additional research has linked HIIT workouts in older adults to improved memory and less age-related brain shrinkage. - A typical HIIT session involves short bursts of exercise, from 20 seconds to four minutes, reaching 80-90% of a person's maximum heart rate, followed by a longer period of low-intensity recovery.
