Weight loss is the most common reason why someone begins or continues to exercise.  However, we understand that exercise is more than just weight loss.  For us, working out is about a lifestyle of overall health and well-being.  While it is always necessary to consult your physician before beginning a workout program, research has shown that there are multiple health benefits beyond weight loss, to short bouts of intense exercise like what we provide for you at the B•U•R•S•TClub™.

Here is a look at a few of the additional benefits of the B•U•R•S•TClub™ Program:

Increased Muscle: As we age, we tend to rationalize away our ability to work out.  This rationale has cost many people to lose muscle mass and strength that is necessary for daily living.  Playing with the kids, washing the car, climbing multiple flights of steps, doing lawn work, and various other daily activities all require muscle strength to carry out. Low to moderate-intensity exercise has been proven to utilize only type I muscle fibers whereas both type I and II muscle fibers are utilized significantly in high-intensity exercise. The loss of muscle mass, often associated with aging, is largely due to an atrophy of Type II muscle fibers which are not worked at all in low-intensity exercise (1-2).

Increased Immunity: Have you ever felt like you get sick more often after long duration type exercise? There is scientific evidence that shows the immune system is suppressed following a cardio or aerobic workout. Plasma glutamine, an essential amino acid necessary for the normal functioning of the immune system, is decreased after long-duration exercise and increased after short-term, high-intensity exercise (3).

Increased Positive Mood: Wouldn’t it be great to work out AND be in a good mood?  This is entirely possible if your follow our B•U•R•S•TClub™ training program. Research shows that beta-endorphin levels associated with positive changes in mood state are increased in short-term, high-intensity exercise (4).

Increased Cardiovascular and Respiratory Fitness: Many people believe that in order to be in top cardiovascular shape endurance training is the best way to train. Well, the good news is that you can actually improve your endurance AND short distance sprinting capacity if you burst train!  Short bouts of exercise have been shown to produce positive changes in cardiovascular and respiratory fitness when compared to long bouts of exercise. Multiple studies also show that moderate-intensity aerobic training that improved maximal aerobic power did not change anaerobic capacity at all.  On the other hand, high-intensity intermittent training may improve both anaerobic and aerobic energy-supplying systems significantly, probably through imposing intensive stimuli on both systems (5-6).

Increased HDL Cholesterol Levels: Many people today struggle with varying degrees of cholesterol problems and resign themselves to a life of medication to balance cholesterol levels. While we would never recommend getting off a medication prescribed by a physician, studies show that doing short, intermittent bouts of high-intensity exercise (as compared to slow and steady continuous exercise) increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (7).

Blood Pressure regulated: High intensity exercise is great for so many things, and regulating blood pressure is just one more of them!  In one study, compared to exercise duration, exercise intensity had a 13.3 times greater effect on systolic blood pressure and a 2.8 times greater effect on diastolic blood pressure (8).

Decreased mortality: Last but not least, wouldn’t you like to live a long and healthy life? A decrease in mortality has been linked to total energy expended during vigorous activity. The same is not true relating to non-vigorous activity (9).