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How to get fit without making an effort

2019-10-02T13:59:16.219Z


When it comes to sports, you always have to push your limits to make a difference? That's not true. Low-intensity interval training makes you fit and strengthens the cardiovascular system - without being too strenuous.



Sport is murder? This view is a lot of sporty muffle, who believe in sports always hurt the muscles and sweat trickles in streams down the back. The motivation is then often in the basement. But this does not necessarily have to be the case: Low-Intensity Interval Training (LIIT), which means low-intensity training, is a good way to approach stress levels and increase them only slightly.

"In interval training, moderate load phases and more intensive interval phases alternate," says cardiologist Herbert Löllgen, who is also honorary president of the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (DGSP).

For a simple LIIT workout, that could mean specifically: When walking or jogging, walk or walk for about three to four minutes, then in between give a little more throttle for about one to two minutes. "This can also be done well with other sports such as Nordic walking, cycling or swimming," says Löllgen. The same applies to exercises with a rowing machine or on a mat.

Moderate training as a motivation boost

The approach to LIIT is fundamentally different from that of High Intensity Interval (HIIT) training, where athletes reach their performance limits due to pulsed loads well above the anaerobic threshold - with shorter workouts. The high speed with only short breaks and challenging exercises strengthens stamina and speed.

But the high intensity can also be a strain on muscles and nervous system. "Overall, the HIIT can reach a maximum load of up to 95 percent," explains Löllgen. The LIIT, on the other hand, tackles the same exercises more slowly: "The basic load should only be around 50 to 70 percent," says the cardiologist. For the more arduous interval phases you put another 10 to 15 percent on it. The breaks between the exercises are extended to about two minutes.

So you are overall noticeably below the HIIT level. "With the LIIT you are not completely exhausted immediately after the first phase," says Löllgen. "Many lose the motivation to keep going." In addition to the heart rate, the decisive factor for the intensity is also the subjective feeling - and that is different for everyone.

LIIT just as effective for the heart and circulation as HIIT

Less drudgery does not mean that LIIT brings less than HIIT. "Studies show it's just as effective," says the cardiologist. In any case, for the cardiovascular system, because the overall fitness and flexibility are increased and also the fat burning stimulated. To achieve these effects, Löllgen recommends around 2.5 hours of moderate endurance sports every week like LIIT - plus two units of strength training. It is important to train regularly.

"Everyone can get started with a certain fitness," says the doctor. So those who have previously completed some training. LIIT is also suitable for patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes - with the right guidance.

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2019-10-02

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