LIFESTYLE

Death by Committee

The World Health Organization (WHO) takes up a political cudgel with which to kill people.4713747928_cb494a54a3_z

Recently the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of WHO, met and “assessed more than 800 epidemiological studies that investigated the association of cancer with consumption of red meat or processed meat in many countries, from several continents, with diverse ethnicities and diets.” That sounds good; even science like. By the way “red meat” was understood to be “beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, or goat meat.” And…”processed meats contain pork or beef, but might also contain other red meats, poultry, offal (eg, liver), or meat byproducts such as blood.”

High Intensity Interval Training – Part II – Joints and Bones

High Intensity Interval Training Has Repeatedly Been Shown to be the Most Effective Way to Raise Heart Health and Overall Fitness. It Also Turns Out To Be The Most Effective Way to Maintain Bone and Joint Health.exercise-for-health-squats

In Part I, here, we discussed why high-intensity Interval Training (HIT) was far better for fitness training and heart health than aerobic exercise, yet took far less time.

However, there are other reasons to exercise. An appropriate exercise regime can greatly improve joint and bone health.

High Intensity Interval Training – Most Effective Exercise – Part I

Such Training Has Repeatedly Been Shown to be the Most Effective, Yet Take the Least Amount of Timeexercise-biopower-kettlebell

It’s also known as Interval Training, High Intensity Intervals, or other permutations. We’ll save the forests and abbreviate all these by HIT.

Beginning with the 1960’s, Aerobic exercise has been the recommended “in” physical activity. There have been endless books written, and most gyms are filled with machines that exercise you aerobically: cross trainers, treadmills, stationary bikes, steppers, etc. (Thank you, Dr. Kenneth Cooper, for inventing the word and introducing exercise to the medical profession. He didn’t get it quite right but he got everyone started. A true pioneer.)

Exercise – Maximizing the Health Benefits – Part 6 – Biological Power

This is the final addition to the exercise program. To attain peak health, it is necessary to challenge the power generation capability of the cells.

exercise-biopower-curls

Typical Gym Machine

More specifically, the mitochondrial energy generating capability is challenged, and in response, they will increase both their efficiency and numbers. Optimizing this is the formula for peak health. (Of course, we assume here a healthy diet and low stress lifestyle.)

To accomplish this, we will take the two intense sessions, which at this point already have squats and deadlifts as osteoporosis prevention, and have rowing for heart rate variability. We will add, for each intense day, three or four more power exercises.

Exercise – Maximizing the Health Benefits – Part 5 – Heart Rate Variability

Safely maximizing heart rate variability cleans and strengthens arteries as well as improving cardiac function. Exercising at maximum heart rateexercise-heart-heart is controversial in some circles, so you should get an OK from from your doctor first.

Intense interval exercise is known to be far more beneficial than what is referred to as ‘aerobic exercise’, even though it takes a lot less time. (All exercise is ultimately aerobic, which is why there are single quotes around that phrase. Dr. Ken Cooper coined the term; he was a wonderful man and told me some great stories but this word, ‘aerobics,’ is very misleading.The word is used to name sustained, sub-maximal exercise.) The reason intense interval exercise is so beneficial is simple. It causes your heart to vary, to vary as much as it can, usually. Rapidly up, rapidly down. This has a strikingly positive and rapid effect on atherosclerosis prevention and reversal, along with rapid improvement of a  variety of blood markers.