THE CASE FOR SPRINTING AT ANY AGE
When we’re younger sprinting is naturally part of our lives. Whether we’re playing tag with friends, racing, or participating in youth sports we are sprinting almost daily. However, as we age sprinting becomes a thing of the past unless we are purposely planning it into our lives.
Over the past year or so I have learned about the importance of sprinting. So, I thought it was finally time to share a bit about the benefits and how I have personally incorporated sprinting into my weekly fitness routine.
Springing is a simple yet powerful way to boost your health, burn fat, and improve your overall fitness. One of the best aspects of sprinting is it is a super quick and very effective workout. Making it perfect for a rest day or to tag on at the end of a workout.
There are multiple health benefits to sprinting but the one that caught my attention the most has to do with visceral fat.
Recently I listened to Max Lugavere’s podcast with Dr. Sean O’Mara and learned that sprinting is one of the most effective ways to reduce visceral fat.
WHAT IS VISCERAL FAT AND WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS
If the term visceral fat is new to you know you are not alone. Most people have never heard of visceral fat let alone know what it is. Visceral fat is not the fat we can pinch on our body. The fat we all are aware of is the fat that sits right under the skin which we can easily feel and see. This fat is called subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is a healthy fat that insulates the body, stores energy, and protects bones and muscles. While subcutaneous fat considered a good fat too much of it is not good for our health.
Visceral fat on the other had is the fat stored deep within our abdominal cavity. It wraps around vital organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Unlike subcutaneous fat visceral fat is hidden. And, as we know when we can’t see something we don’t think much about it which is what can make it so dangerous. Out of sight out of mind.
Excess visceral fat increases your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.
Visceral fat is dangerous because it is metabolically active which means it releases inflammatory substances and hormones that disrupt your body’s normal functions. This can lead to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, as well as other metabolic issues.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, individuals with high levels of visceral fat are up to three times more likely to develop heart disease. And what is crazy is this is for people who are at a healthy body weight. This is why the weight on the scale does not give us the full picture of our health.
THIS SHOCKED ME ABOUT VISCERAL FAT
In learning about visceral fat what surprised me the most is even if you are at a healthy weight, look healthy on the outside, and workout regularly you could still have more visceral fat than is considered healthy. Having a small amount of visceral fat is normal. Health issues can arise when visceral fat becomes excessive.
How much is too much? Waist circumference is a good tool to use to gauge excess visceral fat. For women a waist circumference over 35 inches and for men and waist circumference over 40 inches could indicate excess visceral fat. Another useful measurement is to look at your waist to him ration. Women should be below 0.85 and men below 0.9.
The goal isn’t to eliminate visceral fat entirely (which isn’t possible or healthy). The goal is to stay within a healthy weight range, move regularly, strength train, eat a balance diet, manage stress and SPRINT!
The most accurate way to measure visceral fat is through imaging like an MRI. However, this really is not feasible for most. So, what are some other ways to know if you may have an unhealthy level of visceral fat? There are several signs and risk factors that can help you determine if you may have excess visceral fat.
If you check off multiple items from the list below more than likely you have excess visceral fat and it would be a good to focus on strategies to reduce it overall.
- Apple Shaped Body: Carrying more weight around your midsection. Even if you are not significantly overweight elsewhere.
- High Levels of Stress: Chronic stress (both physically and emotionally) increase cortisol and high levels of cortisol promotes visceral fat storage. Chronic stress plays a massive role in all areas of our overall health and is one area that is overlooked especially when it comes to fat loss.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: Lack of regular physical activity.
- Poor Sleep: Consistently getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night.
- Unhealthy Diet: High intake of processed foods, sugar, refined carbs, and unhealthy fats like inflammatory seed oils.
- Current Metabolic Conditions: Such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, abnormal triglycerides or high blood sugar levels. Even if you are not visibly overweight.
- Signs of insulin resistance: Fatigue after meals, intense sugar cravings, or difficulty losing weight despite efforts.
WHY EXCESSIVE AND PROLONGED CARDIO IS NOT THE BEST FORM OF DAILY EXERCISE
So, you might be wondering how someone who is thin, maintains a healthy weight, eats well, and exercises regularly could still have excess visceral fat. What I’ve learned is that any form of excessive or prolonged cardio can contribute to visceral fat accumulation if not properly balanced. This was a huge surprise to me when I first started researching visceral fat given it seems we have been told the more cardio we do the better.
Running, cycling, swimming, rowing, or doing back to back high volume aerobic classes (think trendy high intensity bootcamp workouts) for too long and too often can put chronic stress on the body. The problem isn’t the activity itself. It’s the duration and frequency.
Exercise naturally places stress on the body. While cardio can help manage stress, too much can have the opposite effect. Long duration and excessive high intensity workouts can elevate cortisol levels. Over time elevated cortisol can trigger visceral fat storage. This happens because cortisol signals the body to store energy as fat in preparation for future needs. When the body feels unsafe due to chronic stress, it holds onto fat as a survival mechanism. This is a primal response.
This is why rest days and balance are so important and why walking is making a comeback. Walking is the perfect way to stay active while allowing your body to recover. We are made to walk!
That doesn’t mean you can’t run a marathon if that’s your goal. It just means long term, nonstop endurance training isn’t ideal. If endurance training is your focus, working with a coach to design a plan tailored to your needs is a smart move.
I was a devoted Peloton rider for years, and Matt Wilpers’ zone training was one of my favorites. I used to do at least five 60 minute rides a week totally unaware of the potential downsides. I still enjoy long rides, but not every day.
Beyond raising cortisol, excessive cardio can also lead to catabolism which is the breakdown of muscle. This is why it is so important to include strength training and ensure you are focused on good nutrition (we must eat good to build muscle). We naturally lose muscle as we age unless we are making a concerted effort to keep and add muscle. Muscle loss lowers your resting metabolic rate. Muscle burns calories even at rest which means the more muscle you have the more calories you burn over the course of the day.
On the flip side when your muscle is low your resting metabolic rate drops meaning your body burns fewer calories at rest. This makes fat gain (both subcutaneous and visceral) more likely especially if your calorie intake is greater than what you need based on your activity level. In addition maintaining and adding muscle is one of the best ways to support a healthy insulin response.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND SPRINGING AND VISCERAL FAT
- Sprint Interval Training (SIT) vs. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Research indicates that SIT can lead to a 39.95% greater reduction in body fat percentage compared to traditional HIIT, while requiring 60.84% less exercise time.
- Sprinting triggers a powerful after burn effect known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). This means your body continues to burn calories long after your workout is over.
- Catecholamine Release Through Sprinting: Fast sprinting elevates levels of catecholamines which are hormones that promote the release of fat particularly abdominal and visceral fat. This allows for the fat to used as energy by the muscles.
- Sprinting increases the production of fat burning hormones like adrenaline and growth hormone, both of which target visceral fat.
7 KEY BENEFITS OF ADDING SPRINTING TO YOUR WEEKLY ROUTINE
- Reduces Visceral Fat Efficiently: Sprinting targets our most stubborn fat which will improve your health all around and help reduce the risk of metabolic diseases as well as many others.
- Boosts Metabolism for Hours Post Workout: Thanks to the after burn effect as you learned about above your body will burn more calories even while at rest.
- Improves Insulin Sensitivity: Enhances your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Enhances Cardiovascular Health: Increases heart efficiency, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation.
- Builds Lean Muscle and Strengthens Legs: Sprinting engages large muscle groups promoting muscle growth and an increase in strength.
- Improves Mental Toughness and Mood: This one is my favorite! Sprinting releases endorphins which reduce both stress and boosts mental clarity.
- Saves Time: Sprinting is the quickest most effective workout you will do that deliver results without spending long hours working out.
MY CURRENT WEEKLY WORKOUT ROUTINE
My reasons for working out are much different in my 40’s then they were in my 20’s. I workout to be strong and healthy vs. to control my weight. Reminding myself of why I workout makes it easier to be consistent. Knowing the benefits of sprinting makes me say yes to it each week because I know it is greatly benefiting my health. My current routine is leg day, arm day, sprint and core day and repeat. I have one full recovery day a week or anytime I feel like I need one. In addition I most days I walk for at least 60 min.
If running is not your thing or you are at the very start of your fitness journey you can still get the benefits of sprinting with lower impact activities such as incline walking or hiking which can mimic the intensity of sprinting by engaging more muscles and elevating your heart rate. You can also do cycling sprints which are short bursts of high intensity pedaling. Rowing, swimming and battle ropes are also great options. The key is to align sprint style training with your current abilities which means pushing yourself at near maximal effort for short intervals followed up by recovery periods. No matter your fitness level you can modify the intensity, duration, and, resistance to achieve the same metabolic and fat burning benefits as traditional sprinting.
SPRINT ALTERNATIVES FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT RUN
If running isn’t an option due to joint issues, injuries, or personal preference, you can still reap the benefits of sprinting with low-impact alternatives that match your current fitness level. Incline walking or hiking can mimic the intensity of sprinting by engaging more muscles and elevating your heart rate. Cycling sprints are also a great options as the short bursts of high intensity pedaling reduce joint strain while still activating fast-twitch muscle fibers. Rowing, swimming, and walking up steps also provide high intensity bursts of effort without the impact of running. The key is to align sprint style training with your current abilities. It’s as simple as pushing yourself at near maximal effort for short intervals followed up by recovery periods. No matter your fitness level, you can modify intensity, duration, and resistance to achieve the same metabolic and fat burning benefits as traditional sprinting.
Sprinting isn’t just for professional athletes. It’s for anyone who wants to feel strong, healthy, and energized. You don’t need fancy equipment or hours of free time. Just your body, a little space, and the motivation to push yourself. In case you don’t know where to start I created a FREE 4 Week Sprint Guide for every fitness level. Whether you consider yourself beginner, intermediate or advanced.
Get Your Free 4 Week Sprint Guide HERE
In Love, Health + Gratitude,
Katie