Why SIT is the BEST form of HiiT for Menopause (thanks Stacy!)
We have started to implement SIT training into our programming here at Pineapple.
Stacy Sims sums up why it is so effective PERFECTLY below!!
For menopausal women, high-intensity sprint interval training sessions can provide the metabolic stimulus to trigger the performance-boosting body composition changes that our hormones helped us achieve in our premenopausal years.
The key here is INTENSITY. In high-intensity interval training, alternating short bursts of hard exercise are followed by relatively short recovery periods. So if you're using heart rate as a guide, anything that sends your heart rate above about 85 percent of your maximum is high intensity. When you reach your menopausal years, it's very important to incorporate the shortest, sharpest form of HIIT: sprint interval training. As the term indicates, SIT sessions include super-short, 10- to 30-second sprint-style efforts. They are extremely beneficial for both peri- and postmenopausal women.
One of the biggest benefits of SIT training is improvement in body composition (and cardiovascular health!). SIT training increases lean muscle mass and reduces fat mass in a relatively short period of time. In a 2019 study published in ""Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"", researchers had a group of postmenopausal women, ages 47 to 59, perform 20-minute bouts of SIT - alternating eight seconds of sprinting on a stationary bike at about 85 percent of their maximum heart rate with 12 seconds of easy pedaling - three times a week for eight weeks. By study's end, the women had lost fat, regained lean muscle mass, and improved their aerobic fitness by 12 percent after what amounted to only 8 hours of exercise over 8 week's time.
We offer SIT training inside of our Strength Training sessions programmed specifically for women here at Pineapple. Small Group Personal Training is a game changer!