I recently read an article about Cirque du Soleil performers that completely inspired me.
Researchers found that these athletes had virtually no bone density loss at all right through to age 65!
What is even more amazing is that they experienced only very slow declines in muscle mass, and only slight increases in body fat during this same aging process.
This is good news for us in the over 40 club!
Originally, I assumed that these elite athletes must be performing for hours and hours every day, so its no wonder they stay strong and fit.
Here is the biggest surprise of all – Cirque du Soleil performers, on average, only exercise for 270 minutes per week. That is less than an hour, 5 times per week! The most important component of exercise here is the intensity. They are working very, very hard for that hour.
I know most of us never dream of being elite level athletes, but the take away is amazing! You don’t need to put a lot of time into your workouts to get the benefits.
If you exercise at high intensity for brief periods you will maintain your bone density, muscles mass, and cardiovascular health!
So give up those long, slow, medium intensity treadmill runs and learn how to do HIIT or burst training (otherwise known as metabolic conditioning). They are not only more fun, they will save a lot of time.
How much time do you need to spend each week? Obviously, that depends on your goals and current fitness level. Generally speaking 3 HIIT workouts per week, ranging from 5-15 minutes is a great place to start.
Don’t know what HIIT training is? Don’t know where to start? If you have any questions, ask them in the comments section below, post them on Facebook or ask me when you see me next. I would be happy to help.
Dr. Craig Dingman
Feb 23, 2018 at 11:19 AM
Hello, I would love to read the article about cirque du soleil. Have you got any information about there training method. Thank you.