One of the main reasons people come to see me in my office is because they want to look out the windows and check out my amazing view.

Right across the street from me is one of North Carolina’s nicest grocery stores with a gorgeous paved parking lot.

Wrong! That’s not why people come to see me.

The #1 reason people visit me usually has something to do with  improving their energy levels and helping them to lose excess weight they know is “holding them down.”

It’s a legitimate reason to see a doctor, but if you can attack these problems on your own without spending money to see an MD, wouldn’t you jump at the chance?

Well, you can, and here’s how.

Let’s be honest, the American lifestyle, if you want to call it that, makes it extremely difficult to find adequate reserves of energy to accomplish everything life requires of you.

Whether it’s sitting at a desk all the time, or falling victim to a microwave lifestyle, most Americans (perhaps even you) want to experience a life with more energy and a slimmer waistline.

While I always maintain the building blocks of health starting with nutrition, the next vital component is exercise.

And, since I covered cardio in last weeks’ blog post, I want to cover another style of exercise I believe is hugely beneficial for both energy levels and weight-loss.

So let me tell you all about it.

An Amazingly Simple, And Dependable Form of Exercise

One style of exercise I believe works very well to increase both energy levels and weight loss is the Thighmaster.

Suzanne Somers was on to something. I’m only just kidding.

In all seriousness, the style of exercise that works very well could work with a thigh master, because the type of exercise I’m convinced is one of the best ways to work out is, not in what you’re moving, but how you move.

I believe High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is one of the better, if not the best way, to work out.

There is no precise formula for HIIT, (which I’ll also refer to as interval training). All that needs to be accomplished is to workout at near maximum intensity for a short duration of time, followed with a rest period, right back into another burst of maximal effort.

So, how could you use a Thighmaster to make this happen?

Allow me to explain.

When you’re performing HIIT, what you’re doing is moving your body from aerobic exercise to anaerobic exercise within a short period of time.

While your body is in an aerobic state, you use oxygen to give your body energy. As you move from aerobic to anaerobic, your body demands more energy than oxygen alone can provide. This means your body will then switch to reserve carbohydrate stores to generate energy for the exercise you’re performing,

But, since your body can only sustain that kind of a workload for a short amount of time (think sprinting as hard as you can when you’re trying to catch your dog before it makes it in the street), you’ll soon have to switch back to an aerobic state.

By linking together a few cycles of intense/moderate work, your body uses a considerable amount of energy to accomplish work, thus helping you lose weight and boost energy levels at the same time.

That’s the simplified explanation.

So, in theory, if you could work your Thighmaster super hard for 20 -30 seconds (just make a mental picture of that)…that is to the point where you couldn’t push yourself any more…and then give yourself an adequate recovery time, you’ve properly engaged an HIIT workout program.

Best of all, there are multiple forms of interval training you can do, so read on to see how easy it is to start these types of workouts.

Effective HIIT Exercises Methods You Should Know

There are numerous ways to begin an HIIT program, some of which can be accomplished with zero equipment and at no cost to you.

To explore the varieties, take a look at the Infographic provided by Greatist.com

More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.

Starting to get the idea?

Great.

Remember This Before You Start Interval Training

While I believe interval training to be one of the superior ways to increase health, I must mention this.

HIIT has the potential to be quite demanding, and if you attempt to start an interval training program without conditioning beforehand, you’re in for a world of hurt. You might even injure or kill yourself, so before you start a workout program, consult a health professional to make sure you’re able to perform.

Also, keep in mind that due to its demanding nature, HIIT should be performed every-other day, or even once every 3 days so you can properly recover.

But the proof that interval training works is bountiful.

As many research studies have indicated, HIIT has bonafide and proven benefits.

• The Journal of Obesity noted in 2 separate reports that a 12 week regimen of HIIT produced “significant reductions in total abdominal, trunk, and visceral fat.”  The reports also found it increased fat-free mass and boosted aerobic power.
• The Journal Cell Metabolism  was able to conclude that when individuals who were relatively healthy, but had no established exercise program, produced maximum effort in exercise, even if only for a short time, it actually changed their DNA! The study noted that the genes affected were those responsible for fat metabolism. As the Journal indicated, the brief and intense exercise “turned on” the body’s lipolytic enzymes, which are responsible for fat burning.
• And, as Medicine in Sports and Exercise Science found, insulin sensitivity and blood regulation in healthy but unfit subjects were improved in only 2 weeks time when performing interval training.

There is a mountain of research that shows interval training works.

When the body begins to burn carbohydrates as well as fat for energy, it produces abundant energy while simultaneously reducing excess weight in the form of adipose and visceral fat.

This is great for anyone who wants to lose weight and have long-lasting, sustainable energy.

So dust off your running shoes, and be well.

Talk soon,

Dr. Wiggy
www.HealthAsItOughtToBe.com