Short high intensity workouts reduce heart risk in teens: study

A new study states that short, high intensity workouts when performed three times in a week can reduce the development of heart disease in teens. Furthermore, even healthy teenagers have shown significant improvements when they perform the same short and intense exercise.

Eureka Alert reports that the research was conducted at the University of Exeter, headed by Dr. Alan Barker and Dr. Bert Bond. The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology and was funded by the Northcott Devon Medical Foundation.

As a current practice, teenagers are suggested to do about 60 minutes of exercise everyday to prevent chronic health diseases. However, according to the Health Survey for England, only 30 percent of teen boys and 20 percent of teen girls are able to do this. Incidentally, any efforts to increase exercise have failed that is why the researchers believe their findings will be a better way to improve fitness of teens and improve their health.

Dr. Barker stated in a press release that as kids become older, physical activity decreases and attempts to increase it to at least an hour appeared to be fruitless, UPI writes. Asking them to do about five to ten minutes of high intensity workouts in a day seemed more attainable, making the study beneficial to their physical activity and health.

The discovery was made when the researchers required six teen girls and seven teen boys to cycle for a minute then to rest for 75 seconds. This regimen was done for two weeks, where the number of minutes was increased from eight to ten until they reached 15.

As a result, the teens showed great improvements in their blood vessel function and ability to control heartbeats. Unfortunately, the researchers noted that as soon as the regimen was stopped, the improvements also stopped. The study concluded that in order for the short but high intensity workout to work, it needs to be maintained and continued.

One of the participants, Aaron Bagwell, shares that he finds the short but intense workouts to be more fun and challenging, Science Daily adds. He believes that taking part in the study has helped him understand what is really going on with his health.

Dr. Bond shares that the study is still an important discovery but further studies need to be conducted and that includes the amendment of the current health guidelines for physical activity. He also adds that the study should be applied on a larger scale to confirm the results and help reduce heart disease especially on those who are highly at risk.