In a modern world, one has to be mentally sharp. The maintenance of brain health is equally important as keeping the body fit, whether you are juggling your work load, family life or personal goals. New research indicates that there is an effective means of enhancing the functions of your brain and maintaining memory; it lies in your workout routine. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is hailed as a top method for making older adults’ brains healthier. If you’d like to keep a razor-sharp mind well into old age, consider HIIT.
What Makes HIIT So Special?
Exercise has always been praised for its numerous benefits such as improving cardiac health and reducing stress among others. However, not all exercises are good for the brain. While traditional forms of exercise such as walking or stretching help to some extent, HIIT seems to bring something extra specifically for your brain.
A recent study investigated the effects of different exercise routines on brain health which involved 65-85-year-olds who had shown no signs of cognitive decline. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups that were given varying exercise regimens for six months – high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), and low-intensity continuous training (LICT). The aim was to determine which exercise was most effective in boosting memory and brain functioning.
The Power of HIIT: What the Study Found
The findings from this study were staggering. Those who participated in HIIT showed an improvement in their immediate memory tests scores at the end of six months with lasting benefits up to five years later while those who went through low intensity or medium intensity did not experience any long term changes.
What then does it mean when we say that you should do HIIT? It means doing short bursts of very intense activities followed by brief periods of rest or almost no effort exercises. During this study, participants of HIIT exercised on a treadmill where they spent four minutes running at high intensity at 80-95% maximum heart rate after which they would take three minute break to recover. This was repeated four times per session, and the exercise was done three times a week.
The participants who engaged in HIIT for six months had reduced errors in memory tasks compared to those from other exercise groups. Even more interesting is that five years later those from the HIIT group were still better than their counterparts thus suggesting that the brain benefits derived could be considerable and sustainable.
Protecting Your Brain from Aging
As we get older, our brains naturally shrink with age, for example, the hippocampus, an essential part of memory. However, it showed that HIIT may help offset such shrinkage. The MRI scans revealed that those in the low- and moderate-intensity groups had lesser volumes of the right hippocampus within their brains as compared to those in the HIIT group. The implications therefore are huge: HIIT can prevent cognitive decline associated with aging as per this finding.
However, what makes HIIT so effective in preserving brain health? There are three major ways that have been identified by researchers:
- Insoles with improved Cardiovascular Fitness
The heart health benefits of HIIT also enhance brain health since it can improve your cardiorespiratory fitness making it easier for the heart to pump blood properly around the body including the brain thus reducing pressure on blood vessels as well as lowering blood pressure which is a critical consideration because high blood pressure is associated with reduced brain volume and worse cognitive performance.
- Lowering Inflammation
For this reason, chronic inflammation in the body can result in such conditions as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It has been established that TNF-α levels are lower in those who participate in HIIT unlike those who do not exercise at all. Through this way, HIIT lowers TNF-α hence helping to treat chronic inflammation that leads to protection of brain tissue and maintenance of cognitive function.
- Boosts Brain Cell Functionality
Healthy neurons are crucial for memory and communication between different areas of the brain. BDNF is a molecule involved in learning and memory processes that when elevated through exercise promotes growth of new neurons and repairs damaged ones (Biondetti et al., 2017). However, BDNF typically decreases with age but High Intensity Interval Training provides a means to combat age-associated decline in BDNF signaling and optimally functioning brain cells.
How To Create Your Ideal HIIT Workout Plan
Although there are key advantages highlighted by the study on HIIT, it still allows room for customization. For instance, there isn’t any single best protocol for performing HIIT training. Therefore, you need to find a workout plan that fits your level of fitness along with your preferences. An easy HIIT program might involve alternating between doing 30-second sprints followed by resting or light jogging on treadmill or exercise bike.
This is because high intensity intervals require maximum effort while low intensity periods should be dedicated to recovery. By including HIIT in your program, you can take advantage of some of the many benefits that it offers. Regardless of whether you’ve never worked out before or are a fitness fanatic, adding High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your routine can greatly benefit your body and mind.
What Have We Learned About HIIT And Brain-Health?
With an ever increasing life’s requirements personal mental agility has become more essential than ever before. This means that HIIT is a time-effective way to improve brain health, memory and fend off age-related cognitive decline. If you want only the best for yourself in terms of long-term mental comfort, try incorporating HIIT into your weekly exercise schedule.
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