Low Intensity Workouts Are Just as Good for You
When we think about exercising the image that often comes to our minds is people grunting and sweating in a gym whilst they're lifting weights, pulling heavy ropes or bouncing a big medicine ball into the air. But some people due to varying reasons can’t perform those high-intensity workouts.
People who just had surgery, people who are still obese and are just starting to get fit and people who have extreme skin sensitivities can’t perform these workouts because of their condition.Fortunately, not all workouts have to be gruelling in order for you to lose some pounds and become healthier.
A better and safer alternative for people with certain conditions is starting to gain some fame amongst fitness enthusiasts and this exercise regimen is called LISS (low intensity steady state).
Lesser strain but still effective
LISS, according to experts, is just as effective as high-intensity workouts like HIIT and CrossFit when it comes to improving cardiovascular health and the muscular system but with a lesser gruelling routine.
According to those who advocate this form of exercise, LISS entails performing any repetitive motion for 30 to 45 minutes at 50 to 60% of your maximum heart rate. This means that any exercise like walking, jogging, biking or even swimming for 30 to 45 minutes will help boost your cardiovascular system and your muscular system without straining your body too much.
The key here is that when you’re exercising you should be within the range of your maximum heart rate throughout the duration of your routine in order for your workout to be effective.This means that you should know what your maximum heart rate is, which is simple to find out. Just subtract 220 to your age and you’ll know what your MHR is.
For example, if you’re 40 years old subtract that to 220 and you’ll get 180 beats per minute (bpm) and then stay within 50 to 60% of that range, which is 90 to 108 bpm. But before you do this be sure to check with your physician first and ask him/her if this kind of exercise is suitable for you.
The takeaway
Exercising using the LISS method is quite effective when it comes to improving your cardiovascular system. But the real take away from this exercise is that you can improve your healthy without exacerbating your condition whether it is from a healing wound from surgery, obesity or extreme skin sensitivity.
This is especially useful to people with sensitive skin or extreme skin allergies like eczema because people with these conditions can easily trigger their allergies if their bodies become overheated. Symptoms of eczema often show when the skin is too hot, so exercising with LISS is much more preferable because the workouts are not as strenuous but just as effective as high-intensity workouts.