A common barrier to exercise amongst our patients is that they don’t have time to exercise, yet we’re all blessed with 24 hours per day. Some of us prioritise physical activity no matter what our day looks like. Others are consistently time-poor and do not. We see the best health and well-being benefits bestow those who consistently make time for exercise, allowing movement and physical activity to become habitual and part of their lifestyle. This concept is nothing new of course, and isn’t why you clicked on this link.

So, for the always-busy, the time-poor, and those wanting to get all the benefits of a 30-minute jog in a 10-minute cycle, REHIIT training (reduced exertion high-intensity interval training) may be the answer!

Tell me more…

A 2019 8-week study split 32 participants into two groups with the goal of improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and positively modifying cardiometabolic health (group A = REHIIT, group 2 = moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT)). The REHIIT group were prescribed a cycling protocol that included a 3 minute warm-up, 20 second sprint, 3 minute recovery, 20 second sprint, and a 3 minute cool-down (10min total) 2-4 times per week. The MICT group performed 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at 50-65% of their heart rate reserve (HRR is the difference between your resting heart rate and your maximum heart rate) 5 times per week. 

To confirm, the study compared exercise outcomes with one group performing 20-40 minutes of cycling per week, and another group performing 150 minutes of jogging per week.

Outcomes

The study found that there was a near two-fold increase in cardiorespiratory fitness in the REHIIT group vs the MICT group. Additionally, reductions in systolic blood pressure (the first number in your blood pressure reading eg 120/70mmHg) were three-fold in the REHIIT group. The REHIIT group also displayed a favourable change in their MetS z-score (predictor of Metabolic Syndrome, a collection of conditions that often occur together and increase your risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease). 

Possibly the best outcome is the most obvious one – REHIIT provides greater health benefits in a third of the time when compared to MICT.

Of course, each protocol needs to be prescribed to the individual, their condition history and health status, and their overall health and fitness goals. Appropriate clearance to commence exercise from your GP and a comprehensive initial screening appointment from our team of Exercise Physiologists will enable the creation of the safest and most time-effective exercise program for you and your stage of life.

REHIIT for the win

This above study highlights the efficacy of REHIIT training as an excellent ‘bang for buck’ exercise protocol, and certainly one to consider for those looking to fit more into their day!

Reference

1. Cuddy, T.F., Ramos, J.S., Dalleck, L.C. (2019) Reduced exertion high-intensity interval training is more effective at improving cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health than traditional moderate-intensity continuous training. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16(3): 483