Got HIIT last night.
Hey it is quick yet the “rest periods” between pushes do allow for thought. Prominent is why the F am I doing this?
There are 9 hard pushes. The first is not bad then I zone out mostly.
After I finish I do think more clearly. This is not fun but..... I got my reasons.
Fitness is work.....depending.
There are several levels of fitness. The lowest is being a potato. You will die young and sick. Avocados will not save you.
The next is doing something and it does not have to be much. The famous short HIIT thing from that BBC “doctor show” is doing a few seconds several times a week on a spin bike. The trick was to push as hard as you could all out. It was only for seconds so there is no time crunch excuse. You do not even raise a sweat. But is has remarkable benefits. It drops blood pressure and seems to alleviate incipient type 2 diabetes. Basically it reminds your body that your are a real living thing. You may get old.
The next level is doing some kind of regular program or activity like spin classes or gym sessions. That builds strength and basic cardio. You might even lose weight though it is likely you could gain weight (muscle is heavy). You will get old and be able to enjoy things.
The level above that is getting prepared for something like a 10 k race or a marathon, or a big bike event. This is getting serious. This also takes a lot of time. If you keep this up forever you will get very old and be able to enjoy things like teasing younger people who cannot keep up with you.
Each level is exponentially more effort that the previous. Like seconds to minutes to hours.
What has to be emphasized is that in all those things you need to use mostly your legs. For most people even fatties your legs are roughly half your body weight. They are also your biggest and strongest muscles. They are the big motor. In terms of lean body mass the legs are just bone and muscle. Your upper body also has muscle, but it is mostly guts and lungs and heart unless you are a body builder. Even they have far more muscle in the legs than the upper body.
In terms of muscle the legs are in charge. Working out with dumb bells doing curls is a fraction of the muscle engagement of legs.
There is an artery in the legs called the femoral it is roughly the size of a garden hose in a mature male. It is to supply the leg muscles with fuel and oxygen by way of blood. It is a mainline from your heart. Your body knows where to invest its effort. Your arms are fed by pencils.
This is why I have such faith in cycling as it is all about legs. Running and brisk walking are good too, but not as good. Simple strolling is good for the mind but..... You gotta get your pulse up. Your fit bit has to say “in the zone”. For comparison a single hour at my usual pedal cadence is about 10,000 steps.
Last year I was able to measure my actual hard number calorie burn from riding. I averaged 623 calories per hour of riding. I do not always go as hard or as long, but that is why I average it. I cannot run, and walking can be difficult. Like many older people my knee joint is “challenged”. An hour walk will leave me sore or in real pain. A six hour ride has me reaching for more beer with a stupid grin on my face.
Winter here is dark and mostly wet for 15 hours of what we call the day. So I HIIT it in the work week. I set up the bike on the green monster trainer and beat myself up. On the weekend I get outside. Wet and cold just determine the layers I need, not if I go out or not (ice, snow, storms excepted).
So what are your options? Spin Classes are a good start, but really only a start you gotta go somewhere from there. They engage the big motor and make you stronger. They can let you meet people who may go out riding in the real world with you.
A real bike on a trainer is better as well you have a real bike. There are several gyms in Vancouver that you bring your own bike to for “spinning”.
I have mine set up in the living room. That avoids an hour travel time to a gym and such. I can ride before dinner and get it out of the way. It is only a modest time investment. I put it away when I am not using it.