We know that a mix of training intensities can boost metabolism and fitness, and many trainers and gyms use high intensity interval training (HIIT) to stimulate fitness gains and calorie burning, especially for younger athletes. HIIT involves a good warm up followed by several extremely FAST or HARD intervals that are done hard enough that talking is difficult to impossible because breathing and heart rates are very high. The intervals are short (20-30 seconds) followed by at least 30 seconds or more of rest. But is HIIT good for older athletes (over 50)? The answer is “yes” and may even be good with chronic conditions like high blood pressure or some types of heart disease (but please talk to your cardiologist first!!). Less is more when it comes to these types of intervals: 4-8 repeats of 30 seconds with 1-3 minutes rest between repeats, 1-2 times per week is enough, depending on the athlete’s fitness and age.
For more information, visit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29416382