There’s no doubt, our metabolism slows as we age. Before reading on, ask yourself this question, “ Do I want to accept the fact of a slowing metabolism, or do I want to implement a strategy to counter the effects of a decreased metabolic rate?

This is a difficult question and some people may believe that the intent of the question is to challenge the reader into seeing it my way. After all, wouldn’t we seem weak willed if we announced, “I’m going to accept my slowing metabolism and let my life’s energy do as it may!” The intent of the question however is not to influence the reader into my way of thinking, but to highlight the difficulty we face in deciding at what juncture in life we abandon certain time consuming and energy expending health practices that are difficult to maintain in favor of a less physically arduous lifestyle that may offer more daily time, balance, and life enjoyment.

This will be a topic for another issue. The question of exercise intensity and exercise duration as it corresponds to balancing life enjoyment is raised in this issue because the most effective way to supercharge metabolism requires much effort! And this effort, if you remember, is in the form of high intensity anaerobic intervals! Are you ready? First a review of EPOC.

Excess Post Oxygen Consumption
When you exercise using the high intensity interval system, your body consumes considerably more oxygen. And the more oxygen you expend, the more calories you burn. However this increased oxygen during exercise is not really what fuels what we all desire, a higher metabolic rate; it’s the after-burn, or what is called EPOC, and more descriptively, excess post exercise oxygen consumption that fuels our metabolism. It works like this. The more energy your body uses during training, the higher EPOC. EPOC works in increasing metabolism by telling our body to get back to balance or what is referred to as homeostasis.

Getting back to homeostasis takes energy though, and this energy burns calories for several hours if not days afterward. That’s why hard working athletes who consume thousands of calories still find it difficult to sustain their weights. Their bodies are calorie burning machines even when they are at rest. How would you like to have even a fraction of their speedy metabolisms? Read on for examples of this high intensity interval system designed to put you in EPOC and burn hundreds of calories even while you are sleeping!

There are thousands of ways that intervals may be designed. You’ll need to try out a few to see what it feels like. The following are good examples of interval training that will put you in EPOC and intensify your ability to burn fat. The following is directly from Men’s Health Magazine. It should give you a better understanding of interval variations. Keep in mind that trying a few will give you a different feel than long and steady cardiovascular training. Go ahead and try a few of these variations and let me know how they go. I’m always available for questions and I’d be happy to hear how the increased intensity is working for you.

Getting Up to Speed
They say that slow and steady wins the race. But the cardiovascular key to fat burning is using interval training workouts – workouts that alternate high-intensity levels with lower-intensity effort. This formula keeps your body burning calories long after you’ve stopped working out.

Interval training mimics sports – start-and-stop motions with periods of sprinting or close-to-sprinting speeds followed by light jogging or rest. You can use interval training workouts any way you want – running, cycling, swimming, on elliptical trainers, even walking if you alternate a speed walk and slow walk.

You can also vary the intensity levels in different combinations. To start, here are three options for setting your workout. (If you use exercise machines, don’t choose the interval workout; choose the manual one, and create your own intensities by adjusting it yourself. It’ll give you greater control over the speeds and will help you burn fat faster.) You’ll derive benefits in as little as a 20-minute interval workout. As you build up endurance and strength, you can add time to your workout.

Interval Variation I: Standard
The following is a typical interval workout. You alternate the same period of low intensity with the same period of higher intensity.

a. 3 – 5 minutes warm-up (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warm up period)

b. A 1 minute moderate or high intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity (repeat 6 – 8 times)

c. 3 – 5 minutes cool-down (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cool-down period)

Interval Variation II: Pyramid
This pyramid structure allows you to start with short bursts of speed, and then you’ll peak at the longest surge of energy in the middle of your workout before coming back down.

a. 3 – 5 minutes warm-up

b. 30 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity

c. 45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity

d. 60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity

e. 90 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity

f. 60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity

g. 45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity

h. 30 seconds high intensity

i. 3 – 5 minutes cool-down

Interval Variation III: Sports Conditioning
Sports are unpredictable. This interval simulates some of that unpredictability by having you doing different times and different intensities. You can mix and match the orders and repetitions as much as you want. Rest longer after the periods in which you use the most energy.

a. 3 – 5 minutes warm-up

b. 2 minutes moderate or high intensity followed by 2 minutes low intensity (repeat once

c. 30 seconds high intensity followed by 30 seconds low intensity (repeat four times)

c. 60-yard sprints (or 10 seconds if not running) followed by 90 seconds rest (repeat 6 – 10 times)

d. 3 – 5 minutes cooldown

In following articles, look for perspectives in how we may decide at what juncture in life we alter certain time consuming and energy expending health practices. The key for all of us lies in knowing when to change certain practices that may offer more balance and enjoyable yet healthy lifestyle. None of us want to feel like we are “giving into aging prematurely,” but having a flexible mind and healthy alternatives are central to growing well.

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