The best exercise for seniors is high-intensity interval training, study says

A twice-a-week routine of high-intensity interval training shows a marked effect on fitness and overall wellbeing in people over 70, according to a new study. Regular cardio sessions

centered around short bursts of intense workouts, broken up by brief rest periods, can help us stay healthier for longer, according to researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and

Technology. When the 5 year study began in 2012, researchers called it Generation 100, and randomly divided healthy participants into three different training groups. One group was assigned

to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) using the 4X4 method twice a week—doing 4 minutes of 85-95% maximum heart rate aerobic exercise and 4 minutes of 60% maximum heart rate for 4

rounds. Group two was instructed to train at a steady, moderate intensity for 50 minutes. The participants could choose whether they wanted to train on their own or participate in group

training with instructors. RELATED: Training for Your First Marathon ‘Reverses’ Aging of Major Blood Vessels on Par With Medication The third group, the control group, was advised to

exercise according to the Norwegian health authorities’ recommendations. This group was not offered organized training under the auspices of Generation 100, but was called in for regular

health checks and fitness assessments. “First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that,

training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect,” says Dorthe Stensvold, a professor in the university’s Cardiac Exercise Research Group. “Both physical and mental quality

of life were better in the high-intensity group after five years than in the other two groups. High-intensity interval training also had the greatest positive effect on fitness,” according

to Stensvold. CHECK OUT: New Intermittent Fasting Program Shown to Suppress Cancer and Metabolic Disease in Mice and Humans But does this kind of exercise prolong life to a greater extent

than moderate exercise? It would seem so. “In the interval training group, 3% of the participants had died after five years. The percentage was 6% in the moderate group. The difference is

not statistically significant, but the trend is so clear that we believe the results give good reason to recommend high-intensity training for the elderly,” Stensvold explains. The study

also found that age has the least effect on fitness level for people who exercise regularly at high intensity. This group had a drop in fitness of 5% over ten years. By comparison, fitness

levels dropped by 9% individuals who exercised regularly but not at high intensity. Those who were physically inactive lost as much as 16% of their physical conditioning over ten years.

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