The one exercise you need to do when you reach your seventies

When you reach your seventies, a regular session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) really does start to make a difference.

The exercise is the only one to reduce body fat while preserving valuable muscle mass.

Moderate and low-intensity workouts help people lose fat, but only HIIT maintained lean muscle, which becomes increasingly important with age, say researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.

They tested different exercises on a group of 120 healthy older people with an average age of 72, who did three gym exercises every week for six months.  Exercises ranged from low to moderate exercises, and intense sessions of HIIT.

HIIT consists of repeated short intervals of very demanding exercise followed by easier recovery periods.  The exercise was intense enough that the participants’ breathing became heavy and talking was difficult.

HIIT puts more stress on the muscles, giving the body a stronger signal to keep muscle tissue rather than lose it, the researchers said.

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community