Are Short Workouts Effective?

Research carried out by the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019) have shown that short periods of high intensity internal training can improve our body composition + cardiovascular health!

The key here is Intensity - short bursts of hard exercise followed by relatively short recovery periods. We want to try + provide the metabolic stimulus to trigger body composition changes that our hormones would have previously helped us achieve in our premenopausal years.

If you are using your heart rate as a guide, anything that sends your heart rate above around 85 percent of your maximum is classed as high intensity or often known as the Red zone. You can measure your approx max heart rate from subtracting your age from 220. For me at age (nearly 50) 85% of max heart rate would be approx 144 beats per minute.

These super short bursts can be extremely beneficial for both peri + postmenopausal women + can increase lean muscle mass + reduce fat in a short period of time. These short bursts are also kinder on our hormones. During midlife we want to ensure we keep our cortisol levels down. Short intense periods are better than putting our bodies under stress for prolonged periods of time. And with families + work to juggle + generally being extremely time poor during this period of our lives, it's win win!!

When it come to FITNESS BITES our URfit workout uses a similar theory. We aim to work at high intensity with short periods of rest using either bodyweight or light weights. If you haven't had a go why don't you give FITNESS BITES a try. You first 7 days are FREE + you can cancel anytime. Get in touch if you would like to chat more.

Of course please ensure you have checked out with your doctor before you do short periods of intense exercise!!