Blog Posts and Articles

This post is an installment in our 52 Health Hinges series. Remember, “Small hinges swing big doors.”

Having two young sons has been cramping my exercise style.

In a perfect world, I’d be doing a regular barre class, Pilates reformer class, or riding my bike. But it’s been difficult to get away, so exercise has been something that, unfortunately, has been shelved for the time being.

Sure, I get out on walks, sprint to the potty with the 3-year old, and get in an upper-body and core workout wrestling a squirmy 11-month old, but I do yearn for a good class (with adults) here and there.

So when an article kept popping up in my Facebook feed earlier this year, I finally decided to read it.

The Scientific 7 Minute Workout

Hmmmm.

I was skeptical. It sounds like another “Six Minute Abs.”

But then I noticed that it’s basically high intensity interval training method (HIIT), where you work your tail off for a short time period (in this case, 1 minute), followed by a recovery period.

As the article states, “Even a few minutes of training at an intensity approaching your maximum capacity produces molecular changes within muscles comparable to those of several hours of running or bike riding.”

So I downloaded the app and gave it a spin. I wasn’t getting to my classes anyway, so why not? At worst, it was an activity to keep the boys busy for a few minutes.

I know that with HIIT, the key is to hit it hard. So I gave it my all, and it did get my heart racing. It felt good. Over time, I felt like it was easier to do the push-ups. (I’m terrible at push-ups.) And it was something that my whole family could do together (even my 11-month old giggles and jumps along with us in his jumper).

If you’re doing exercise that you love – and exercise that makes you feel good – then maybe this tip isn’t for you. Keep doing what you’re doing!

But you may want to consider this. HIIT boosts human growth hormone (HGH) – a powerful anti-aging hormone. I’m not talking about taking hormone supplementation here, especially when HIIT is your best source of HGH.

The benefits of HGH are far-reaching: increased bone density, lower blood pressure, peak immune function, glowing skin, improved cholesterol profile, faster wound healing, and better kidney function.

If you’re stuck on the couch, busy with your family, traveling without access to your normal classes or equipment, or if you feel like crap after the exercise you’re currently doing, give this a try! If exercising for even 7 minutes is unfathomable (not uncommon for those experiencing fatigue or low thyroid function), read up on this article written by our friend and fitness expert, Jen Sinkler.

Remember, with HIIT, the key is to hit it hard. You’re only doing this for 7 minutes, so really go for it, okay?