Push Yourself Hard Towards Yours Goals

You probably know that exercising at moderate intensity for 20 minutes elevates your mood for up to 12 hours. That exercise increases the production of a protein that supports the function, growth, and survival of brain cells. That exercise is one of the five daily habits a 30-year Harvard study shows can not only increase your lifespan by 12 to 14 years but also cut your risk of Alzheimer's in half. And, of particular interest during times like these, that exercise helps you better manage stress. But when you feel overworked, overwhelmed, and struggling to make sense of the new normal, it's tough to exercise regularly -- much less reap the benefits. --> Science to the rescue --> According to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, one 23-minute HIIT session per week can boost aerobic capacity, lower blood pressure, and lower body fat...and one session is nearly as effective as doing three 23-minute sessions per week. -Researchers created three groups. One did an HIIT workout three times a week, another did one HIIT workout per week, the third did three moderate-intensity workouts per week, and the fourth group did nothing. (I've been a part of a few research studies and never got to be in the "do nothing" group.) Both of the HIIT workout groups lost more body fat than the other two groups, but the one time per week group lost nearly as much -- and also reaped similar aerobic and blood pressure benefits. Still, there's one major caveat: You can't just spin lightly on an exercise bike. You can't just breeze along on the elliptical. You can't just knock out 12 reps of dumbbell bicep curls with a five-pound weight while you check your email with your free hand. Your HIIT workout has to be a true HIIT workout. HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. The principle is simple. You go almost as hard as you can for a short period of time, then "rest" for enough time to let you recover enough to go hard again. In running terms, that could mean sprinting for 30 seconds, jogging for 30 seconds, sprinting for another 30 seconds, etc. Here are plenty of different HIIT options, some aerobic, others strength-focused

The Effects of Exercise on Muscles

Exercise involves a series of sustained muscle contractions, of either long or short duration, depending on the nature of the physical activity. Effects of exercise on muscles can be considered short-term or immediate, both during and shortly after exercise; as well as long-term, lasting effects.

Short-Term Effects

The effects of exercise on muscles varies with the type and duration of the activity.Aerobic exercise is typical of activities requiring endurance and sustained muscle contractions. Such activities rely mainly on Type I (slow-twitch muscles) which sustain maximal contraction for extensive periods of time. This use of slow-twitch muscles, and the availability of oxygen, prevents the buildup of lactic acid, and typically does not result in substantial muscle fatigue in the short-term. Sustained aerobic respiration tends to shift the metabolic pathways of muscle to favor the use of fat as the primary source of ATP, and glycogen is generally avoided.

Anaerobic respiration, typical of sprinting and weight lifting , prioritizes the use of Type II (fast-twitch) muscles fibers for short, high-intensity contractions. Muscles prioritize the use of readily-available ATP, glucose and glycogen for these contractions, which results in a build-up of lactic acid. Though traditionally viewed as the cause of muscle fatigue, recent research indicates ion shortages, particularly of calcium, during an aerobic exercise, causes such muscle fatigue. However, lactic acid inhibits further ATP production, indirectly causing fatigue. Muscle soreness, once thought to be due to lactic acid accumulation, has more recently been attributed to small tearing of the muscles fibers caused by eccentric contraction.

Long-Term Effects

Muscle hypertrophy, or the increase in muscle mass due to exercise , particularly weight training, is a noticeable long-term effect of exercise. Exercise of specific muscles can often result in hypertrophy in the opposite muscles as well, a phenomenon known as cross education.

Experts and professionals differ widely on the best approaches to specifically achieve muscle growth, as opposed to focusing on gaining strength, power, or endurance. It was generally considered that consistent anaerobic strength training will produce hypertrophy over the long term, in addition to its effects on muscular strength and endurance.

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