Interval Training and Cardiovascular Health

             Science has shown for centuries that our brain controls all systems in the body, additionally it requires more oxygen than any other working organ. Making sure our heart is healthy can ensure better brain function. A properly functioning nervous system is the primary goal for our patients care in our office. Regular chiropractic care supports all exercise activities; the converse is true as well that regular exercise helps support chiropractic care.

            The simple explanation of interval training states that during a workout the athlete picks up the pace to push their heart rate for 30 seconds- 2 minutes, and then cooling off to return to the athlete’s ideal target heart range. Interval training is an important part of aerobic exercise. If you're a walker or a runner, run intervals once a week. Walking and running build endurance by strengthening your cardiovascular system. Completing interval training once a week can enhance your endurance by increasing the amount of blood your heart pumps with every beat (This is known as your cardiac stroke volume.) Interval training also increases the amount of oxygen your body can take in on each breath. (This is known as your respiratory vital capacity.) The result is you can have noticeably increased speed, as well as increased reserves when you need a prolonged burst of energy.

            The same principle(s) apply for any type of aerobic activity. The interval system is easy to apply. For example, if you're a swimmer, you can do interval training with laps. If you ride a bike, you can do intervals with timed sprints. There many books and magazine articles available to help you add interval training to your aerobics program. If you're doing aerobics exercise three times per week, insert interval training into one of those session for better results. Interval training is very powerful; remember the most important aspect is to build up gradually.

            To begin, you need to start with a good base by completing aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes. Using running as an example, you might be running 10-minute miles in at a fast "race pace". Ten minutes per mile is 2.5 minutes per quarter-mile. On your interval day, warm up by lightly jogging 1 mile. Then run four quarter-miles at a pace a slightly faster than your “race pace.” In this example, you could run four quarter-miles at 2:25 or 2:20 per quarter. Then finish by lightly jogging for another mile.

            Over time your interval pace will get faster. You could do intervals with half-miles, three-quarters of a mile, or even a mile, but only if your weekly mileage supports such an interval distance. Most of us will see remarkable benefits by doing quarter-mile or occasional half-mile intervals.

            One obvious result is that your resting heart pulse may drop like a stone; this is because your heart is being trained to pump more blood each time it contracts. Your heart will also beat less during the course of the day to provide the amount of blood you need flowing to your tissues. This saves wear and tear on your heart and it will last longer because you're doing intense vigorous exercise. That's a pretty remarkable result!

            The bottom line is that interval training makes your heart and brain healthier. Your heart and lungs get a terrific workout with each interval training session. There's a big payoff for this once-a-week activity. Start your interval training TODAY!

1Molmen HE, et al: Aerobic interval training compensates age related decline in cardiac function. Scand Cardiovasc J 2012 Jan 24 (Epub ahead of print)

2Dunham C, Harms CA: Effects of high-intensity interval training on pulmonary function. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011 Dec 23 (Epub ahead of print)
3Hwang CL, et al: Effect of aerobic interval training on exercise capacity and metabolic risk factors in people with cardiometabolic disorders: a meta-analysis. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev 31(6):378-385, 2011