Do you remember the time when incurable acute illnesses & infectious diseases were the main cause of death? With advancements in medicine & vaccines, & changes in lifestyle, this is no longer the case. Instead, we are now facing an epidemic of
preventable chronic conditions
such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer and, according to the CDC, 70% of deaths today are caused by lifestyle-related chronic diseases. This endless suffering is sweeping our nation and accounts for over 85% of health care costs, and $117 billion each year is due to poor physical activity. In fact, $147 billion alone was attributed to obesity in 2008, which was over $1,400 more than those of normal weight in 2006. The more we spend on health care, the less we get. In 2005, 133 million Americans were living with one or more chronic illnesses and 63 million were sick with numerous chronic disorders. By 2020, those numbers are expected to rise to 157 million and 81 million, respectively. What we are doing is not working. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) level is a major factor in one’s risk for chronic illness and death, and the gold standard for measurement is VO2max. Exercise is a key intervention that demonstrates a significantly positive impact to combat the rising numbers of chronic illness and corresponding mortality rates. The higher the CRF, the lower the risk. Based on my review of 9 primary research articles and one meta-analysis, the evidence was overwhelming in that 30 minutes or less of HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT) increases VO2max significantly more than 60 minutes of traditional moderate-intensity continuous exercise, such as walking, running, or biking!
