Stop Looking for the Best Kind of Exercise

Hello Reader!

Reason #146 on why we should ditch the idea of “best”:

Lately, the fitness-advice pendulum has swung to the side of high-intensity exercise—especially for women in midlife. There are good reasons for that. Vigorous exercise can challenge the body in ways that simply exercising longer at a comfortable pace may not.

But that doesn't mean harder is the best form of exercise, despite what all the fitness personalities may tell you. In fact, research comparing high-intensity interval training with moderate continuous exercise suggests something considerably less dramatic—and at the same time, much more useful:

Different kinds of exercise do different jobs.

Intensity matters, with a caveat

A recent study of women ages 50–65 found that vigorous activity was most strongly associated with cardiorespiratory fitness. It also showed why "vigorous" doesn't mean the same thing for everyone.

The researchers compared standard definitions of exercise intensity with intensity relative to each woman's fitness. Their conclusion: intensity is personal.

Brisk walking might be genuinely vigorous for one woman. Someone fitter might need to run, climb stairs or do something considerably harder to challenge her cardiovascular system to the same degree.

Keep in mind that this was a small study of 73 women, and because it was observational rather than an intervention, it can't prove that vigorous exercise caused their greater fitness. But it's particularly relevant because the participants were women ages 50–65 and their activity and cardiorespiratory fitness were objectively measured.

Meanwhile another recent experiment provides a fascinating clue as to why harder efforts may matter. Researchers compared 90 minutes of moderate cycling with six 30-second all-out cycling sprints—just three minutes of actual sprinting.

The sprint workout produced much larger immediate changes in blood proteins and metabolites, but unlike what the headlines will tell you, that doesn't mean three minutes of sprinting is "better" than 90 minutes of moderate exercise. It suggests that different intensities create different physiological signals.

This study was also small—and its main experiment involved young men, not middle-aged women—so think of it as intriguing evidence about how intensity may affect the body rather than proof that sprinting produces better long-term health.

What about HIIT for a leaner body?

Cue the sad trombone because this is where the evidence gets stronger and the story gets considerably less exciting.

HIIT is frequently promoted as particularly effective for fat loss and body recomposition. I’ve heard several well-known female-focused fitness pros tout it in the past two weeks. Yet systematic reviews combining the results of multiple studies haven't found a consistent, meaningful fat-loss advantage over moderate continuous exercise

One meta-analysis found that both HIIT and moderate continuous exercise modestly reduced body fat and waist circumference, with no significant difference between them for body composition. There was one notable difference, of course: HIIT required about 40% less training time.

Other reviews have reached slightly different conclusions, with some finding small advantages for HIIT in measures such as body-fat percentage or waist circumference. But taken together, the evidence doesn't support the sweeping claim that HIIT is the superior way to get lean.

What it supports much more convincingly is this: HIIT's superpower may be fitness per minute, not fat loss per minute.

The goal isn't maximum intensity. It's enough variety.

For years, women were essentially told to do more cardio. Now that we've recognized the importance of strength and intensity, we don't need to swing the pendulum all the way over and declare moderate exercise useless.

If your goal is to boost your strength and health for as long as possible, do this:

Move often. Easy and moderate activity lets you accumulate movement without demanding much recovery.

Lift something challenging. Muscle and strength become increasingly valuable as we age—and if "leaner" is your goal, remember that body composition isn't only about having less fat. It's also about having muscle.

Sometimes get out of breath. Vigorous exercise challenges your cardiorespiratory system differently, and it can improve fitness with surprisingly little time.

Remember: vigorous means vigorous for you. You don't have to sprint just because someone on the internet says women over 40 should sprint.

P.S. When you're ready, here are a few ways I can help you:

🟡 For a quick workout that you can make as intense as you want? Try my free 8-Minute Wonderfulness Workout video.

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