Obesity in one of the most epidemic situations we are currently facing in America and it continues to rise. Time constriction has been one of the biggest excuses for living a sedentary life, which could lead to obesity and many health risks. But studies reveal that physical activity and exercise has been proven to prevent or slow-down the onset of certain health risks.
The evidence-based research I found used thirty-seven healthy participants (recreationally active, not physically fit) to analyze and compare the effects of four different interval-training on aerobic fitness and muscle strength. The types of training used were low-intensity interval training with or without BFR (blood flow restriction), high-intensity interval training, and combined HIT and BFR. Training started with 2 sets of 5 reps, with an increase of one repetition after each week, ending at 2 sets of 8 reps on the 4th week. All groups were required to contact training three times a week for 32 minutes (5-minute rest period during the 14-19 minutes), for four weeks. The study showed a significant improvement in VO2max (maximal oxygen uptake), Pmax (maximal power output), OBLA (onset blood lactate accumulation), and muscle strength in all types of training, but revealed the most improvements in BFR training. Like every study there are limitations to research studies. In this study limitations arise due to the subjects age, gender, the number of subjects, their current fitness level, the duration of training, and the types of exercises that were conducted.
In conclusion, short-term low-intensity interval BFR training improves your overall fitness level, revealing that it can be done within 30 minutes. Hours in the gym is not required to improve an individual’s health. BFR training is ideal for anyone who is limited with time because it does not require weights, which means anyone who aren’t able to lift heavy loads of weight or do not have access or convince to equipment are able to accomplish this task.
Oliveira, M., Caputo, F., Corvino, R., & Denadai, B. (2016). Short‐term low‐intensity blood flow restricted interval training improves both aerobic fitness and muscle strength.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 26(9), 1017-1025. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/doi/full/10.1111/sms.12540