Latest / Health Unscripted / HIIT isn't for everyone!
Transcript
- 0:05SPEAKER_00: What's up guys?
- 0:06SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another episode of Health Unscripted.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: I am going to definitely be making this an every Thursday thing, so look out every single Thursday for a new weekly drop on information.
- 0:17SPEAKER_00: I cannot wait.
- 0:18SPEAKER_00: So, in typical Ashley fashion, I recorded this podcast yesterday and then had like volume issues and mic issues, and I didn't like it.
- 0:26SPEAKER_00: And I was like, you know what?
- 0:27SPEAKER_00: Nope, we're redoing this.
- 0:29SPEAKER_00: So today's podcast is dropping a little bit late, but that's okay.
- 0:32SPEAKER_00: That is the perfectionist in me, the Enneagram type 3-1, whatever I am, right?
- 0:38SPEAKER_00: I like to achieve, I like perfection.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: Here we are.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: So we're working on it.
- 0:42SPEAKER_00: Um, that might be another episode later.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: If you guys don't know your Enneagram number, you should definitely check out that personality type.
- 0:48SPEAKER_00: It is super interesting.
- 0:50SPEAKER_00: Anyway, welcome to another episode of Health Unscripted, where we are going to take a deep dive into different health topics all across fitness, mental, emotional, and physical health, um, nutritional health, obviously, as well.
- 1:04SPEAKER_00: Today's topic, I am going to kind of refer back to my post on Instagram yesterday.
- 1:08SPEAKER_00: So I posted a little like one of my little blog things about HIT, right?
- 1:15SPEAKER_00: I made a post on HIT.
- 1:16SPEAKER_00: PSA, HIT training is not for everyone.
- 1:18SPEAKER_00: And I actually received a lot of feedback on it.
- 1:21SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to dive in a little deeper on this episode today and kind of talk about more along the lines of what HIT is, what are types of HIT, the benefits of HIT, the you know consequences of HIT, and why I'm saying it's not really for everyone in a little more detail.
- 1:40SPEAKER_00: So um, as always, thank you guys for tuning in.
- 1:43SPEAKER_00: I hope you find this, you know, educational, inspirational, whatever it is, and let's roll.
- 1:50SPEAKER_00: Um, okay, so I started my post yesterday with what the fuck is hit.
- 1:55SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna start my podcast today with what the fuck is hit.
- 1:58SPEAKER_00: Um, by the way, there will be cursing on here, so it is not for children.
- 2:02SPEAKER_00: If children are in the car, I am sorry, but just letting me know.
- 2:05SPEAKER_00: So HIT stands for high intensity interval training.
- 2:09SPEAKER_00: So H-I-I-T, high intensity interval training.
- 2:12SPEAKER_00: And what that means is essentially doing periods of exercise where you're doing quick bursts of energy and then you're backing off and taking periods of rest.
- 2:22SPEAKER_00: Okay, so a really easy example of that would be if you were on a treadmill, you would start walking for like a minute, a minute and a half at a comfortable pace, you're resting, you're, you know, laid back, and then you sprint for 30 seconds to a minute, okay?
- 2:35SPEAKER_00: And then you back down to that easy pace for another minute, minute and a half.
- 2:38SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 2:39SPEAKER_00: So those intervals and that burst of energy coupled with rest is what HIT training is.
- 2:44SPEAKER_00: So there is hit aerobic exercise, which would obviously be that.
- 2:48SPEAKER_00: And then there's hit like anaerobic fitness exercise as well, which would be CrossFit.
- 2:54SPEAKER_00: So types of HIT training include Tabata.
- 2:57SPEAKER_00: You know, you're doing the quick bursts and then you're backing off.
- 3:00SPEAKER_00: Spin classes, you are in the saddle, you are climbing mountains, you are doing, you're getting your heart rate up and then you're coming back down, okay?
- 3:07SPEAKER_00: Sprint intervals, like I just said, boot camps, where you're doing a bunch of different exercises at one time and then you're taking a break, like stations, okay?
- 3:15SPEAKER_00: And then CrossFit, like I just said, because a lot of those are AMRAPs, you're doing them in timed periods, you are doing them for time, and then you're kind of like backing off and resting.
- 3:24SPEAKER_00: So I know I get a lot of pushback on CrossFit, but CrossFit is considered a high intensity exercise.
- 3:30SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 3:30SPEAKER_00: You're not just in the gym doing basic moving lifting weights.
- 3:34SPEAKER_00: Um, also, if you're in the gym and you're doing like you're trying to turn your weightlifting session into a cardio session by doing like jump squats or mountain climbers or jumping jacks, jump rope, something in between your weightlifting session, that is also going to be hit because you're keeping your heart rate elevated, okay?
- 3:52SPEAKER_00: So we'll talk about that on another on another podcast post about why you shouldn't be turning your strength training sessions into cardio.
- 3:59SPEAKER_00: But for now, let's focus on high intensity.
- 4:02SPEAKER_00: So the um flip side of high intensity, the opposite of high intensity would be low intensity, like steady state training, right?
- 4:10SPEAKER_00: So you're walking, just simply walking for 30 to 45 minutes.
- 4:14SPEAKER_00: You're simply like jogging 30 to 45 minutes.
- 4:17SPEAKER_00: It will depend on your exercise state and your athletic status of what strain you're at and how how high your heart rate gets.
- 4:24SPEAKER_00: But generally, low intensity is just a basic walk or a bike ride.
- 4:28SPEAKER_00: Like you're not pushing yourself, you're not sprinting, you're not doing things that would increase your heart rate to you know 80 to 90, 90 percent of your max.
- 4:37SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 4:38SPEAKER_00: So we're strictly talking about HIT here, we're talking about these intervals, and um, you're really going for max capacity here.
- 4:46SPEAKER_00: So that is it.
- 4:47SPEAKER_00: I mean, it gets a lot of credit because HIT has been a wonderful addition to the exercise realm.
- 4:53SPEAKER_00: The benefits of HIT, first and foremost, are it is very efficient.
- 4:58SPEAKER_00: Like if you are trying to burn calories and get in a good workout in a short amount of time, HIT is your friend.
- 5:04SPEAKER_00: Okay, you can burn more calories in 15 minutes doing these intervals than you can in 30 to 40 minutes of just walking.
- 5:11SPEAKER_00: I totally get it.
- 5:12SPEAKER_00: Understood, it is efficient.
- 5:14SPEAKER_00: However, that's not always the best thing that you want to look for, okay?
- 5:18SPEAKER_00: So not only does HIT take less time to do, you also have a higher post-exercise calorie burn.
- 5:25SPEAKER_00: So that like max capacity, um, oxygenation, whatever we're going through right now, like that stays with us longer.
- 5:34SPEAKER_00: So you're able to burn more calories longer throughout the day, which who wouldn't want that either?
- 5:38SPEAKER_00: Again, sign me up.
- 5:39SPEAKER_00: This is why it's become so popular, and these are the benefits of it.
- 5:43SPEAKER_00: Um, other benefits of HIT include increased cardiovascular capacity, meaning you'll be able to take on more work later on.
- 5:50SPEAKER_00: You're training your lungs and your heart to obviously accept more work, right?
- 5:55SPEAKER_00: And then over time it adapts and you become a more cardiovascular trained athlete.
- 6:00SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 6:01SPEAKER_00: Increases fat loss due to this, you know, increased heart rate coming back down.
- 6:05SPEAKER_00: It takes more oxygen.
- 6:06SPEAKER_00: You it you exhale more carbon dioxide, we're exhaling more fat cells.
- 6:10SPEAKER_00: There you go, right?
- 6:11SPEAKER_00: So increased fat loss, increased energy sometimes afterwards, but it also can decrease your energy.
- 6:17SPEAKER_00: So now that we've talked about all the good things about HIT and why it's so popular, and like you're like, okay, yeah, all that sounds great.
- 6:24SPEAKER_00: Sign me up.
- 6:24SPEAKER_00: Why do we hate this, Ashley?
- 6:26SPEAKER_00: What are you talking about?
- 6:28SPEAKER_00: Um, it's not for everyone because it does have some side effects.
- 6:34SPEAKER_00: So obviously it does raise your blood pressure and it raises your heart rate, sometimes to a very high range.
- 6:40SPEAKER_00: And for those with, you know, high blood pressure or heart conditions, or already someone who suffers from tachycardia or a high heart rate, HIP might not be the best choice for you because increased blood pressure is going to then set you even further over that healthy threshold and it could send you into a possible heart attack if you're not being monitored.
- 7:00SPEAKER_00: So, as always, check with your physician and get it cleared before starting any type of new exercise routine, cardio routine, anything, especially something like HIIT training.
- 7:09SPEAKER_00: Um, I did have a question on my LinkedIn.
- 7:12SPEAKER_00: I posted that post on LinkedIn as well, and someone asked me if headache patients can do HIT if they're taking a calcium channel blocker like verapamil.
- 7:20SPEAKER_00: So for those who are unfamiliar, calcium channel blockers, verapamil, things like that do control the rhythm of heart rate.
- 7:28SPEAKER_00: Um, and they do control blood pressure a little.
- 7:32SPEAKER_00: So, I mean, increasing blood pressure and increasing heart rate can cause head pain in general.
- 7:38SPEAKER_00: Um, there was a study done with migraines where it actually helped migraines, but it would have to be on a patient-by-patient basis.
- 7:45SPEAKER_00: Like you would have to see what their blood pressure was.
- 7:48SPEAKER_00: You'd have to be monitoring their heart rate and seeing what levels and what rates they're getting to.
- 7:52SPEAKER_00: So it's not that I can just answer, like, yeah, anyone taking a CCB can go ahead and do HIT.
- 7:57SPEAKER_00: That's fine.
- 7:58SPEAKER_00: Um, same with anyone who's taking a beta blocker, sure, why not?
- 8:01SPEAKER_00: Like it'll decrease their heart rate.
- 8:03SPEAKER_00: Like it's on a person-by-person basis and it's on the dose level, and it depends on how well that's helping someone.
- 8:09SPEAKER_00: So they would just have to be monitored.
- 8:10SPEAKER_00: It's not something I can like, you know, give you a hundred percent answer to, but back to others who should avoid HIT.
- 8:17SPEAKER_00: So obviously, heart conditions, high blood pressure, be very mindful and be careful.
- 8:21SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 8:21SPEAKER_00: Other ones.
- 8:22SPEAKER_00: Um, usually HIT is coupled with those who are also looking for fat loss and weight loss.
- 8:27SPEAKER_00: And those who are looking for fat loss and weight loss are also on low carb diets.
- 8:32SPEAKER_00: I don't know why.
- 8:33SPEAKER_00: I hate the low carb trend.
- 8:35SPEAKER_00: Um, I think, I mean, honestly, I hate the trend where you are completely omitting a food group.
- 8:40SPEAKER_00: I don't think that that's sustainable long term.
- 8:43SPEAKER_00: It's definitely a quick fix.
- 8:45SPEAKER_00: And you are going to need that glucose and that energy to perform these exercises.
- 8:51SPEAKER_00: How do you think you're gonna get to max capacity without glucose, without carbohydrates, right?
- 8:58SPEAKER_00: So you're doing these low carb diets and you're gonna get dizzy.
- 9:02SPEAKER_00: You're gonna get lightheaded.
- 9:04SPEAKER_00: That can cause you to pass out, that can cause you to faint, you could end up hurting yourself depending on what the workout is that you're doing.
- 9:10SPEAKER_00: I really, really, really don't recommend continuing a low carb diet while doing high-intensity training.
- 9:15SPEAKER_00: Um, and for those who do CrossFit or anything like that where you're really lifting heavy weights, absolutely not.
- 9:23SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 9:24SPEAKER_00: Eat your carbs.
- 9:26SPEAKER_00: Others who should avoid HIT are those who absolutely suck at rest and recovery.
- 9:32SPEAKER_00: And you're probably thinking, like, oh, I'm so good at rest and recovery.
- 9:35SPEAKER_00: What do you mean?
- 9:36SPEAKER_00: Um, isn't everybody like, well, how do you be good at rest and recovery?
- 9:39SPEAKER_00: Well, if you're asking me this question, that means you literally do not know.
- 9:43SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 9:44SPEAKER_00: You are, I need this is where we're gonna get some education.
- 9:48SPEAKER_00: So rest and recovery are super, super, super important, especially as you get older because your body doesn't, it can't hang, right?
- 9:57SPEAKER_00: Okay, like this is not an example with fitness, but have as you've aged, do you notice that like you maybe can't have as many glasses of wine as you used to when you were younger?
- 10:07SPEAKER_00: The hangover is real.
- 10:08SPEAKER_00: That post-trinking effect kills me for days, right?
- 10:12SPEAKER_00: Well, the same thing happens with your body and your muscles and how you process things.
- 10:16SPEAKER_00: So if you are going out and you're working a ton, you have a high stress job, you are then working out and then you are coming home and you're not adequately, adequately prioritizing sleep, you're not adequately like stretching, foam rolling, um, giving yourself rest days.
- 10:33SPEAKER_00: Sometimes not taking a single rest day, I mean, not sometimes, a lot of the time, is awful for you.
- 10:38SPEAKER_00: Like you should be resting two to three days per week.
- 10:41SPEAKER_00: I work out max four days per week, like strength train.
- 10:45SPEAKER_00: And then the other two days I might do an active recovery, which literally were like includes low intensity, steady state like training.
- 10:52SPEAKER_00: So I'll go for a walk around the neighborhood for 45 an hour.
- 10:55SPEAKER_00: I may go for a bike ride.
- 10:56SPEAKER_00: Um, I may do like a total body hit style workout one day a week, but I definitely have one to two solid rest days where I'm doing nothing.
- 11:05SPEAKER_00: And you need that so that your body can heal, it can recover, it can rebuild the muscle fibers, especially if you're really pushing yourself during these strength training sessions, like you should feel it.
- 11:15SPEAKER_00: Your body should be a little sore and you should give it time to recover.
- 11:19SPEAKER_00: So um, if you're not prioritizing your rest schedule and you're not prioritizing adequate sleep, then HIT training might not be for you.
- 11:28SPEAKER_00: Um, the reason I say that as well is going to be coupled into the next couple of um, I'm saying couple a lot.
- 11:35SPEAKER_00: Hey, um, it's going to be added to the next category of those who should avoid HIT.
- 11:40SPEAKER_00: So others who should avoid HIT are those with high stress in their life and those with adrenal insufficiency.
- 11:47SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 11:48SPEAKER_00: So I'm talking for like talking mostly to those who have super high stress jobs, super high emotional strains right now, like you are fighting with a partner, your spouse, a friend, a family member.
- 12:01SPEAKER_00: You're just like going through it right now.
- 12:03SPEAKER_00: Lots of emotional, like you're crying, um, just a lot of emotional stress.
- 12:08SPEAKER_00: We don't think of emotional stress as actual stress, but it is definitely stress.
- 12:12SPEAKER_00: Uh, then you get, you know, work stress with the the normal frustration of bills and financial stuff, and your boss sucks and all of that is stressful trying to meet deadlines, okay?
- 12:21SPEAKER_00: Other things that are stressful, if you are on a diet, diets are stressful for your body.
- 12:26SPEAKER_00: Your body does not give a shit about aesthetics, it doesn't care what it looks like, it just wants to run efficiently and properly and be healthy.
- 12:34SPEAKER_00: And so by us putting it in a deficit, it is in a stressed state.
- 12:38SPEAKER_00: Okay, so keep that in mind.
- 12:40SPEAKER_00: Training is stress on the body, even if it's good stress.
- 12:43SPEAKER_00: Like we also forget that there's good stress and bad stress.
- 12:46SPEAKER_00: And even though you might be in fight or flight because you're excited about something and we're really like planning this awesome party and you're, you know, maybe not sleeping, you're drinking a lot of caffeine, you're just like in a mood, you're feeling good, but it's still a stress, okay?
- 12:59SPEAKER_00: You're still putting your adrenals through that like adrenaline mode, hence adrenals, okay.
- 13:05SPEAKER_00: So stress can be good or bad.
- 13:07SPEAKER_00: So if you're in a very high stress at all times, and when I'm saying high stress, like if you're rated, you're rating your stress one through ten, seven and above, I would consider a high stress, sometimes even six, depending on the person.
- 13:18SPEAKER_00: Um, so for example, and then those with adrenal insufficiency, so I mean like HPA axis dysregulation.
- 13:25SPEAKER_00: Like we've kind of adrenal fatigue is not really a thing, but HPA access dysregulation is definitely a thing from your hypothalamus to your pituitary to your thyroid, your endocrine system.
- 13:35SPEAKER_00: So it affects your sex hormones, your thyroid hormones, insulin, glucose, all of that.
- 13:40SPEAKER_00: Okay, so if you have dysregulation there and you're adding more and more stress on top of that, all you're doing is further increasing your cortisol and stressing your body out more, which is going to give you the opposite results of what you're going for.
- 13:53SPEAKER_00: So if you're especially one of those patients and you are not, you know, capitalizing on rest and recovery, you're doing yourself a disservice.
- 14:01SPEAKER_00: So I'll go ahead and kind of tell you guys where this all came from and why this is a post that I'm making, is because for me, for example, I used to love HIT.
- 14:12SPEAKER_00: I would be the one doing the jumping jacks and the BS in between my strength training sessions.
- 14:17SPEAKER_00: I would be the one wanting to do spin or wanting to do Tabata and wanting to like sweat profusely on every workout, or else it wasn't a good workout.
- 14:25SPEAKER_00: I was doing sprint intervals all the time.
- 14:28SPEAKER_00: Um I was also undereating.
- 14:30SPEAKER_00: You know, this was years ago when I was, you know, post-competition days, but still wanting to maintain that physique.
- 14:36SPEAKER_00: So I was under-eating.
- 14:37SPEAKER_00: I was eating probably 1200 1400 calories a day.
- 14:40SPEAKER_00: I was overtraining by doing HIT a lot, by not really um, not really taking part in rest days, maybe one day a week, and that was because of like a scheduling conflict or something, like I couldn't get there.
- 14:52SPEAKER_00: I was finishing out pharmacy school and then working as a pharmacist, so super high stress environment, not prioritizing sleep like I should have.
- 15:01SPEAKER_00: And I ended up giving myself, you know, downregulating all of my adrenals and giving myself a thyroid condition.
- 15:10SPEAKER_00: And so I was still doing the hit, I was still doing, you know, what I thought I should be doing and taking medication now for my thyroid.
- 15:18SPEAKER_00: And now fast forward to where I am now, um, I've learned why this was so bad for me.
- 15:23SPEAKER_00: So a couple of years ago, I started working with health coaches and functional medicine doctors because I was like, listen, I understand that I did this to myself.
- 15:31SPEAKER_00: Like I gave myself thyroid issues, like I'm on medication because of what I did to my body.
- 15:36SPEAKER_00: Now, how do I reverse that and get off of it?
- 15:39SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 15:39SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to do that.
- 15:41SPEAKER_00: And I will be a thousand percent honest, the path that I had to take to really get off of it, I was not prepared to do back in the day.
- 15:50SPEAKER_00: Um, I just was in a bad place emotionally, physically.
- 15:54SPEAKER_00: It was not a place conducive to rest and reset and let my body change.
- 16:00SPEAKER_00: So I didn't end up going through with it.
- 16:01SPEAKER_00: But one of the first things that they told me that I needed to do to even like fix my body on medication, not even getting off, was I needed to scale back my training.
- 16:13SPEAKER_00: So you're looking at someone who is strength training like five days a week, working out, whatever, and they're like, uh no girlfriend, you're gonna take that down to two days a week, no more than 30 minutes, and you're gonna do like boring low-intensity weights, like not even super pushing yourself.
- 16:27SPEAKER_00: And I was like, What?
- 16:30SPEAKER_00: Wait, what?
- 16:30SPEAKER_00: And then I'm not allowed to do what?
- 16:32SPEAKER_00: And then I was supposed to do yoga, but not hot yoga.
- 16:35SPEAKER_00: And I was like, um, every studio around me is hot yoga.
- 16:38SPEAKER_00: Like, where do you expect me to find yoga?
- 16:40SPEAKER_00: But that's a different story.
- 16:41SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I like went through this mental um no fucking chance because I'm gonna get fat.
- 16:48SPEAKER_00: Like I'm gonna gain weight.
- 16:50SPEAKER_00: I'm already gaining weight because of this thyroid issue.
- 16:52SPEAKER_00: That's why I'm here.
- 16:53SPEAKER_00: Like, help me.
- 16:54SPEAKER_00: And now you're telling me I can't train or exercise.
- 16:57SPEAKER_00: I'm going to like, no, no chance.
- 17:00SPEAKER_00: My mental ego, my everything was like, no way, there's no way this is gonna work.
- 17:04SPEAKER_00: Well, I attempted to listen while also working on sleep and digestion.
- 17:09SPEAKER_00: And wouldn't you know it, I made progress, right?
- 17:13SPEAKER_00: Like I was losing weight, I wasn't gaining weight, I've had more energy.
- 17:17SPEAKER_00: Um, I realized that the exercise that I was doing, these HIT training like things that I was doing was hurting me more than it was helping me.
- 17:25SPEAKER_00: And so I don't want anyone else to go through that.
- 17:29SPEAKER_00: And I kind of like made it my mission then with everything that I've gone through in my life to educate everyone and kind of avoid, have other people avoid the same process.
- 17:38SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of my story, right?
- 17:41SPEAKER_00: And that's my why for why I'm here is to kind of reiterate all of the things that I've learned the hard way so that you guys don't have to.
- 17:49SPEAKER_00: So essentially, when you are in a stress state and you have thyroid issues and you have adrenal issues, um, a high-intensity exercise routine causes the body to be more stressed.
- 18:02SPEAKER_00: And we don't want to add stress to stress, all right?
- 18:04SPEAKER_00: It's already stressed out.
- 18:06SPEAKER_00: So, like hits a stressor, stress increases cortisol, which can increase fat storage and mess, you know, go through your insulin issues and um insulin sensitivity increase water retention and weight gain, it can decrease energy.
- 18:21SPEAKER_00: So that's not a good time, that's not something you want to do.
- 18:24SPEAKER_00: And that is why I'm making this post or this like podcast and this post for you guys.
- 18:30SPEAKER_00: So, to kind of summarize, hit is an amazing tool for exercise.
- 18:35SPEAKER_00: Okay, it is, it does have a lot of benefits, it is efficient, there are reasons to love it, but if you fit into any of the categories that I talked about today, it may not be for you.
- 18:47SPEAKER_00: It also should be capped at like one to two times per week, all right?
- 18:52SPEAKER_00: So it shouldn't be an everyday thing.
- 18:54SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you're gonna do CrossFit four or five days a week, you really, really, really need to make sure that you are optimizing rest and recovery, like I said before.
- 19:03SPEAKER_00: Because if you are not focusing on your recovery, all you're doing is adding stress to stress, and you may not make the physical, mental health gains that you are looking to achieve.
- 19:15SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 19:16SPEAKER_00: And in the at the end of the day, we're all just trying to achieve our goals, okay?
- 19:19SPEAKER_00: Whether whether it's gaining weight, whether it's bulking, whether it's putting on muscle, whether it's losing body fat, whatever.
- 19:27SPEAKER_00: This is why I'm here is to tell you guys how to do it in a more healthy way.
- 19:32SPEAKER_00: So I realize I rambled a little bit on this, and that's kind of you know how I like to chat, is just kind of dive deep in and have conversations with myself and with you guys on here.
- 19:43SPEAKER_00: So thank you so much for tuning in again.
- 19:45SPEAKER_00: If you have any additional questions on hit, please feel free to feel free to reach out to me on Instagram at dr dwyer.
- 19:52SPEAKER_00: Um, please also follow my Instagram at dr dwyer and at the big day nutrition.
- 19:57SPEAKER_00: You can find more information on my website about the bigday nutrition at thebigdaynutrition.com.
- 20:02SPEAKER_00: And I can't wait to continue to update you guys and drop more nuggets, knowledge health nuggets every single week, every Thursday.
- 20:09SPEAKER_00: So keep a lookout.
- 20:10SPEAKER_00: Like, subscribe, turn on notifications, do all the things you gotta do, and share it with your friends.
- 20:16SPEAKER_00: Thanks, guys.
- 20:16SPEAKER_00: As always, have a great week, and I'll see you next time.