| About 100 years ago, when I was on the high school | | | | exercise. The fat loss of the group who worked out |
| track team, Coach Miller "encouraged" us to do "wind | | | | less was nine times greater than the subjects |
| sprints". We would jog around the track for a while, | | | | performing moderate exercise.Of the three key |
| suddenly break into a sprint for about 40 yards and | | | | exercise variables...how often you do it, how hard you |
| then slow down to a walk as our lungs cried out | | | | work and how long you last, intensity has the most |
| "Please don't do that again."In the beginning we looked | | | | powerful effect. Your body responds to short bursts |
| upon this activity as an extreme form of punishment | | | | of intensity by releasing a cascade of fat-mobilizing |
| but we learned later that these alternating intensity | | | | hormones and anti-aging growth hormones that |
| workouts, now known as interval training, dramatically | | | | supercharge your metabolism and burn extra calories |
| improved our energy and performance.Don't panic. I'm | | | | for 24 hours or longer.Fat loss is only one of the |
| not recruiting for the geriatric track team but there is a | | | | benefits. A new study by British researchers tracked |
| law of nature at work here that applies to the young | | | | 1,975 healthy men over ten years. The men who |
| or old, fit or fat. Our Creator designed the human body | | | | exercised the hardest had a 47% percent lower risk |
| with the miraculous ability to adapt.Natalie, our adopted | | | | of death from all causes and a whopping 62% lower |
| granddaughter spent the first thirteen months of her | | | | risk of death from heart disease, compared with those |
| life confined to a crib in a crowded, understaffed | | | | who reported very little or no intense exercise. The |
| hospital in Siberia. Upon arriving in her new home in | | | | best part however is that these benefits were |
| Dallas, Natalie immediately began to make up for lost | | | | achieved with as little as nine minutes per day of |
| time. In a few short months she rushed from crawling | | | | vigorous activity.The principle of adaptation also applies |
| to walking to sprinting like an Olympic gymnast.Natalie's | | | | to strengthening your muscles, which need to be |
| Mom and Dad will attest to the fact that her "normal" | | | | worked hard to become stronger. The average |
| activity level accelerated from inactive to an | | | | person loses up to 20 pounds of muscle by age 70 |
| astounding high-energy dynamo.If you are a couch | | | | and since each pound of muscle burns up to 50 |
| potato (heaven forbid) or in the "as little as possible" | | | | calories per day it is easy to see why "love handles" |
| exercise category you too can make dramatic | | | | and "spare tires" sneak up on us.Those who are on a |
| progress in your physical condition by employing the | | | | low carb diet (I hate the word diet) such as Dr. Atkins |
| interval training concept. And it will take as little as three | | | | Diet or South Beach Diet your exercise has a distinct |
| 29-minutes sessions per week.A Canadian study | | | | advantage over the low-fat dieters. Low carbers have |
| followed exercisers who burned 300 to 400 calories | | | | a limited amount of glycogen (stored sugar) available |
| per session. A control group matched the same | | | | and so the body utilizes the fat on the belly, hips and |
| routine one-third of the time. Two thirds of the time | | | | other unwanted places as the primary sources of |
| they exercised for a shorter period during which they | | | | energy during exercise.Think you're too old or out of |
| burned only 225-250 calories-but they included | | | | shape to get started on "wind sprints"? It's never too |
| occasional 30-90 second bursts of high-intensity | | | | late to start feelin' great! |