A Perspective On Optimizing Intensity, Duration, and Frequency of exercise
More is better? The “intensity” question. Many perceive that if an exercise session is short, this limited time availability justifies working at much higher intensity. While this provides benefit, both physiologically and psychologically, this perspective has its limitations. For example, at 3-5 sessions per week for 30 to 60 minutes per session, if the work is always at high intensity, other areas of metabolism do not get trained, or stimulated. With a “top heavy” metabolism the body gets trained for short-burst activities with limited stamina while also establishing a carbohydrate deficit due to high, frequent glycogen depletion.
Burning a lot of carbohydrate creates a void that will need to be replenished -often pushing people into excessive carbohydrate cravings throughout the day. It’s not just about calories burned, it’s the type of calories, too! A positive feedback loop is created where the body is being trained to burn more carbohydrates, then craving more carbohydrates. This can be managed with proper fueling and nutrition strategies for the short-term; however, you can see how week-over-week or month-over-month the body becomes more carbohydrate dependent in a way that can negatively affect one’s nutrition strategies. Coupled with cutting calories in addition to the higher intensity exercise session, the positive feedback loop gets more vigorous to the point of poor nutrition, sleep, body composition, and fitness.
A more balanced approach, using this 3- 5 session per week at 30-60 minutes per session example, would include at least one to two sessions at a steady-state, lower intensity. These sessions would stimulate the lower end, more aerobically and fat charged, metabolic pathways. This can have a positive effect on nutrition too because they train the body to be more flexible with its energy supply while also improving both fitness and immune function. Another positive feedback loop can be created in the form of improved fat metabolism, creating a sparing of carbohydrate for energy and ultimately establishing a more balanced nutrition regimen that can be driven by healthy cravings rather than scarcity.
Finally, in some cases, even 15 minutes of activity can make a difference when considering a strength component. Can’t get to the gym? With some fitness or therapy-grade band work you can be very productive in breaking the desk-oriented posture. Exercises that mobilize the rotators and extensors of the spine, shoulders, hips and lower back muscles a few times per week can help your brain keep privy to using these underutilized scaffolding muscles. Our prime movers typically get plenty of stimulus during the exercise sessions.
In summary, when employing the short-duration-high-frequency exercise regimen, establish variety. With at least one to two sessions in the lower end of intensity, one to two sessions with your higher intensity interval-based sessions, and a few light resistance segments peppered into the week you’ll find your fitness, psychology, nutrition and overall health to reach a new, elevated steady-state!