Game Face: How HIIT Helps Fight Disease and Aging

We may be having fun jamming it out, but we are fighting for our lives

I love how at the end of our Mojo hour, we’re all completely ravaged, but still sporting dazed smiles. I am always amazed at what our body can accomplish when the music starts and we get lost in the zone. 

Any newbie to our class might see a crew of friends laughing, singing, sweating, and jamming it OUT. But if you were to learn the stories behind these faces, you would see formidable, no-nonsense, resilient athletes who are fighting for their best life and having a little fun along the way. 

Whether you’re batting .400 or riding the bench, research is definitive that people who exercise regularly, with intensity, are more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better, enjoy more intimacy, and have a delayed onset of dementia. They get relief from anxiety and mild depression, perform better at work, and are happier in life overall. Batter Up!!!

Wishing or believing you can bypass injury, illness, or aging is wishful thinking.
No one goes through life unscathed. Think of it like a pro athlete’s journey through the minor leagues: the more you push and prepare yourself now, the more rewarding, adventurous and longer your life will be at a higher level, with less time spent at the doctor’s office.

Need a nudge?
We have a long list of Mojo All-Stars who are excellent examples of resilience and unwavering determination to keep moving forward…

Due to Mercedes’ genetic predisposition to high cholesterol, she was prescribed statins.
Not knowing one of the side effects was tendon weakness, she suffered a shredded right shoulder. Last March, she went through painful shoulder reconstruction surgery. Because she was in such good shape, Mercedes recovered faster, finishing PT 5 weeks earlier than planned (Bravo!!). She gradually came back to Mojo and is now back in tip-top shape. She credits our program for helping her train for this event in her life. Cheers to you, my friend. Thanks for the inspiration and welcome back!

Side note- Mercedes is off statins. She is on another medication that has safer side effects, but she said that you have to ASK your doctor for a statin alternative, as they will not offer it up front. 

So why did Mercedes heal so much quicker than someone who does not exercise?
Essentially, it’s about preparing ourselves, mentally and emotionally, to perform at our best when it really counts. 

Think of it like this: when we regularly challenge our body with workouts and fuel it with good food, we’re basically putting it through a boot camp.

This training teaches our body to:

• Fix itself faster: It gets really good at repairing muscles and other tissues. 
• Get stronger: Our heart, lungs, and muscles become more efficient.
• Boost its defenses: Our immune system gets sharper and quicker to react

So, when we eventually face bigger challenges like an injury, illness, or disease, our body isn’t starting from scratch. It’s already:

• Prepped for action: It knows how to mobilize its resources.
• More resilient: It has a stronger foundation to draw from, which is about having a greater physiological reserve. 
• A seasoned pro at recovery: Our body can bounce back much more efficiently because it’s been practicing! 

Another Mojo All-Star – Susan’s new journey

One of our low-impact instructors, Susan Simpson (in dark pink)

 
Legally blind, Natanya Sortland, in pink, mojoing with us – and nailing it!