Fitness headlines love a winner.
A recent study is creating some intriguing buzz. While the winner (ahem) was not too surprising, it’s how they gathered the results.
The study focused on how exercise affects blood pressure. Most studies look at blood pressure at a single moment in time – before, during and after a workout. This study followed participants over a full 24 hours.
This changed the “who’s the best” conversation in a very helpful way.
We only spend an hour exercising. Researchers wanted to know what happens during the other 23. When we’re paying bills, sitting in traffic, rushing through Wegman’s, and sleeping
Does the benefit of exercise last?
According to the research, the answer is a resounding YES…
All exercise is good for our blood pressure. However, researchers found that not all exercise is created equal. Some regimens continue to influence blood pressure throughout the day and even during our sleep.
The top performers
- high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- combined aerobic and strength training
- traditional aerobic exercise.
The takeaway was that our cardiovascular system responds remarkably well when we challengeit.
- When heart rate rises.
- When oxygen demand increases.
- When our body is asked to adapt and recover.
Over time, these repeated challenges help our cardiovascular system become more efficient and resilient.
Our Body is More Nuanced Than a Social Media Post
A Mojo friend (Thanks Diane Kelly!) shared a recent viral Instagram post from Dr. Jen Ashton that struck a chord.
Dr. Ashton is a double board-certified OB-GYN and obesity medicine physician with a master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University. She was also the longtime chief medical correspondent for ABC News and Good Morning America.
Her message?
Every time I see a wellness influencer who suggests that ‘the secret to fitness in menopause is X or Y’, I literally roll my eyes. It’s not as simple as that.
“just lift heavy’ or ‘do zone 2 cardio! The cardio vs. weights vs. HIIT debate is much more nuanced than social media makes it sound,
She highlighted research showing that postmenopausal women experienced meaningful improvements in visceral fat and body composition when HIIT was combined with strength training.
It’s not that walking is bad, or that strength training is optional. It’s that different forms of exercise offer different benefits.
Why Variety Works
One of the things about our Mojo format is that it refuses to choose sides.
Cardio matters.
Strength matters.
Intensity matters.
Recovery matters (stretching).
Music matters.
Enjoyment matters.
In one hour, we challenge our cardiovascular system, build strength, improve coordination, recover, adapt with a studio full of people, of all seasons and exercise levels who are cheering one another on.
No single workout checks every box. That’s why variety (a HIIT approach) does the job so well.
Today’s Actions are Tomorrow’s Results
Gentle reminders to take your Mojo experience to the next level:
- Your whole body needs to be involved, not just the limbs being exercised. Make sure your entire core is fully engaged – glutes tight, tummy engaged, lower back in gear.
- In order to see true results, you gotta do the time and you gotta put some muscle into it. Whether it’s five or 15 minutes a day, every little bit counts. If it’s easy for you, you are simply going through the motions. You gotta challenge yourself!
- Create your own muscle memory: If locating certain muscles is hard for you, try becoming more familiar with them. We all know how to flex our biceps without weights. Try learning how to to flex your deltoids, triceps on command. It might sound silly, but it’s like learning a new instrument or golf swing. You’re creating muscle memory and it may take a little practice.
- In Mojo, our body becomes a cardiovascular weight machine. Gravity is your friend as long as YOU are the boss. Don’t give in to momentum to help make arm movement easier (flailing). Defy gravity by keeping movements tight and controlled.
- Don’t forget your Punch-uation Adding a colorful punch or squeeze in your movements is like throwing in bursts of intensity throughout your workout (it’s also more FUN!) Its surprising how much more you can burn and build with little tweaks.
- Strong Hands = More Muscle groups Fists, pancake hands and flexing are all ways to add intensity, which means you’re burning more calories and accessing hard-to-reach muscles.
- Positioning – Lean back, crunch forward, reach a little farther…These are all different ways you can tweak a standard position or move.You are welcome to use our moves, or you can create your own. You know your goals and body’s rhythms. Make it work for YOU.
*Your muscles build only after they have felt fatigue. If you don’t challenge your muscles, they will not feel the need to adapt and build.
*Being sore (not pain) after a workout is a good thing. It means your muscles are adapting.
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