Some of you may have heard of this statement: “If you could put the benefits of exercise in a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medication in the world.” Since our time is a precious commodity, our fast-paced world forces us to search for the most time-efficient ways of completing our tasks. The task of exercise should be no different. Maximum results from exercise can be achieved in a minimum time commitment.
We often hear “more is better.” We need to ask, “More of what?” Many of us desire to have more money, more material things, more peace, and more free time. However, when it comes to exercise, we need to consider the concept of “less is more.” Have you ever thought about trying to discover how little exercise your body requires for optimal results instead of how much it can withstand?
Many variables are required to achieve maximum results in minimum time, but the most important is intensity. Intensity can be defined as the relative effort expended during exercise or the degree to which a muscle is fatigued within a particular unit of time. In reference to exercise intensity, Dr. Philip Alexander states, “I believe we are coming to the conclusion that what was recommended for years by the medical community has been inadequate and of too low an intensity level. When an activity is of sufficient intensity, and not of a certain duration or repeated a certain number of times, then the body will initiate a total-body response (improvements in the metabolic system, HDL, glucose tolerance, blood pressure, bone mineral density, muscular strengthening, immune competency, etc.).”
If this level of intensity is never reached, the beneficial response by the body never occurs, or is only marginal.
Profit or Loss Avenues:
- Loss. Low-intensity activities don’t create an incentive for your body to improve. This is like having a savings account that’s just keeping up with inflation.
- Loss. Performing low intensity activities for longer periods of time or more frequently may lead to over-training and injuries. In this case, you’re making larger or more frequent deposits and not making a profit. Your savings account is now losing money.
- Profit. High intensity exercise stimulates the body to make its own internal improvements. In addition, a high intensity exercise program must be brief and infrequent to reap maximum results. Now you’re making only occasional deposits and reaping the best return for your money. If your exercise intensity is high, the only thing you’ll regret is the time you wasted training longer and more frequently. So get in. Get out. Get fit. IBI
