“I do HIIT (high intensity interval training) every day and as if nothing had happened,” Mónica (52 years old) admitted to me at the time, diagnosed with hypertension a month before getting divorced and reaching an agreement to share custody of Pau, a seven-year-old boy. “The week I have the little one I practice it every day, because I am very tight with time,” she adds. To her testimony, I responded with a question: Are you sure you do HIIT?
There are different aerobic training systems: the continuous one in which a specific speed or intensity is chosen and followed for a period of time, which is usually long (approximately more than an hour). On the other hand, there is interval training which consists of periods of higher intensity exercise, separated by moments of lower intensity activity. The duration and intensity of each of the periods can vary (typically from 30 seconds to 5 minutes).
In recent years, the HIIT protocol (acronym for High Intensity Interval Training, which stands for high-intensity interval training). And although it is not strictly defined, the studies point out that this system is characterized by repeated short bursts of intense exercise, performed with a maximum effort corresponding to 90% of maximum oxygen absorption, or greater than 75% of maximum power, with periods of rest or low-intensity work.
HIIT can be carried out with different devices (so-called air bikes, classic treadmills, rowing machines and battle ropes), with accessories such as rope or kettlebell spherical weights, or also in the pool. According to a study published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, AHIIT (aquatic HIIT) is presented as a safe alternative for people with chronic diseases who cannot train on land, since similar benefits would be obtained with it.
This system can help relieve pressure on the joints, allowing you to complete movements that cannot be done on the ground and that involve impact (such as running). The researchers point to a key finding: AHIIT may be as beneficial as land-based HIIT, providing people with chronic illnesses with another effective option in a favorable environment to begin and continue high-intensity training. The buoyancy of water could promote adhesion and therefore facilitate this effectiveness.
The advantages of water
“I do dances and routines on-line. I hadn't even considered doing this type of training in the pool, but I could do it on the days I take my son swimming,” suggests Mónica. Aquatic HIIT has shown remarkable effectiveness in improving aerobic capacity. The buoyancy of water reduces the impact on the joints, making it an accessible and effective option for people who suffer from cardiovascular pathologies or with arthritis.
Additionally, the aquatic environment provides a unique space for training. cardiovascular. Putting this system into practice, with good swimming technique, will involve large muscle groups; and that, along with the resistance generated by water, can help improve heart health. Aquatic HIIT adapts to people with different levels of physical fitness and healthy conditionsto be an accessible and pleasant alternative for a diverse population, which in many cases suffers from joint pain.
The best exercise is the one you do, and maintaining it is often a challenge. Water is an environment that promotes a feeling of well-being, according to studiesand therefore increases the probability of long-term adherence to physical exercise.
Although it looks very new, this aquatic training is more than 40 years old. The main objective of HIIT is to improve the VO2 max parameter. (maximum oxygen consumption). It could be so effective like traditional continuous resistance training, in reducing blood pressure, body composition and insulin resistance. Furthermore, it should be noted that, from a mechanistic point of view, the physiological adaptations caused by interval training are not only attributable to the intensity per sebut also to the intrinsic nature of intermittent exercise.
From this point of view, as admitted by this meta-analysis, after HIIT-based interventions, lower dropout rates than traditional exercise programs were recorded in previously sedentary people, demonstrating that this system is tolerable and acceptable. However, a single episode of high-intensity interval exercise performed at a strenuous intensity with low rest periods is likely to make patients enjoy it less, so when applying this method it is important to plan the intervals. Adequate recovery between high-intensity sessions, as they would be essential to prevent negative responses and make exercise sustainable in the long term.
Bad body sensations after practicing sports can cause rejection and open the door to returning to a sedentary lifestyle. To avoid this, properly adjusting the minimum effective dose, and to correctly apply this protocol safely, it is important to ask for help from a physical exercise professional.
“The training I do allows me to speak perfectly. I practice it together with a YouTube video. I lose my breath a little, but only that,” says Mónica. “I do jumps, dances… I get a little tired,” she admits. Performing HIIT on land or water goes beyond just tiring you out a little. We are faced with a system that, when used correctly, adjusted to the patient through good planning of training variables such as volume and intensity, can favor both their adherence to exercise and their health.
From the theory to the practice
- Recognition of medical aptitude with a specialist. Before starting to train, it is important to know our thresholds to be able to practice HIIT safely, as well as go to a physical activity and sports professional who establishes good specific planning.
- Strengthen swimming technique. It is about swimming with quality and respecting the technique of the style you have chosen. Good technique is key. You have to swim well, to swim faster and faster. Learning well to execute gestures in the pool will also prevent injuries.
- Pay attention to the dimensions of the pool (the covers are usually 25 or 50 meters, if they are Olympic-sized). Depending on the shape, it can be made wide or long.
- Don't forget the warm-up. Introduce activation exercises that move major muscle groups. You can also use a massage roller or do several gentle lengths (or widths) in the pool before starting your workout.
- Progression. It is important to go from less to more. After warming up, start with a strong length. Rest, swim slower, and then do another intense length. You can start with three gentle warm-up lengths, then perform four intervals alternating a work length with a recovery length, depending on your physical condition. Little by little, as the sessions evolve, the work intervals could be progressively increased.
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