Cassie was young, but rheumatoid arthritis has already made significant inroads and alterations in her physique. The movement was challenging and painful. She followed the recommendation of our Start a New YOU!® Program, she was able to reduce inflammation and pain and gradually started increasing movement in her life. She started with just 30 seconds on an elliptical and she gradually and gently increased her time but not her intensity as her body tolerated the movement and further decreased inflammation and pain.
This is called Continuous Exercise and involves maintaining a steady level of intensity throughout the duration of your workout. Whether it's jogging, cycling, swimming, or using an elliptical, this approach emphasizes endurance and sustainability.
Let's explore why continuous exercise remains a staple in many fitness routines:
Endurance Building: Continuous exercise is a cornerstone of endurance training. By sustaining a moderate level of effort over an extended period, you gradually improve your cardiovascular endurance, decrease inflammation and pain allowing you to perform better and longer in various activities.
Stress Reduction: The rhythmic, repetitive nature of continuous exercise can have a calming effect on the mind. Many people find solace and stress relief in activities like walking or cycling, making continuous exercise not just beneficial for the body but also for mental well-being.
Accessibility and Simplicity: Continuous exercise often requires minimal equipment and can be done almost anywhere, whether it's a jog around the neighborhood, a bike ride in the countryside, or a swim at the local pool. Its simplicity and accessibility make it an attractive option for individuals of all fitness levels.
Injury Prevention: While high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can deliver rapid results, it also carries a higher risk of injury, especially if proper form and technique aren't maintained. Continuous exercise, with its steady pace and lower impact, is gentler on the joints and may reduce the likelihood of injury for some individuals.
Fatigue Resistance: Endurance training teaches your body to efficiently utilize oxygen and energy stores, delaying the onset of fatigue. This increased fatigue resistance can translate to improved performance not only in fitness pursuits but also in daily activities.
Finding Your Fitness Formula
In the realm of fitness, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Both interval training (See our last two blogs, Interval Training: The Power of Peaks and Valleys HERE, and Interval Training and Inflammation HERE) and continuous exercise offer distinct benefits, and the optimal choice depends on your goals, preferences, and individual circumstances. For those seeking rapid improvements in a time-efficient manner, interval training shines with its potent calorie-burning and metabolic-boosting effects. On the other hand, continuous exercise fosters endurance, mental tranquility, and sustainability, making it a valuable tool for long-term health and well-being.
The key lies in finding the right balance between these two modalities, incorporating elements of both into your fitness regimen to enjoy a well-rounded approach that maximizes results while minimizing risks. Whether you're sprinting through intervals or settling into a steady rhythm, remember that consistency, progression, and listening to your body are paramount on the journey to Start a New YOU!®
For Cassie, the slow, steady progression of continuous exercise allowed her to work up to more than 30 minutes in one session. This is great progress, wouldn’t you agree? And you can do the same, starting with what you can do and progressing onward from there!
Are you tired of letting inflammation take over your life and the things you love?
What if you could get rid of your inflammation and start living the life you want to without pain? Would you try?
Check out our new Free Mini-Course, Kickin’ Inflammation to the Curb, HERE, where you learn important steps to get started in your journey without inflammation!
Blue Skies,
Dana West
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