High-intensity home exercise programs, such as Insanity or P90x, have been touted as safe and effective. This may be true, but only under certain conditions—and even if you meet the criteria to practice these programs independently, it still might be a good idea to use caution when engaging in one.
A high-intensity workout can be helpful when trying to reduce systolic blood pressure or improve glucose tolerance. That said, similar results can be achieved with moderate-intensity training that, while more time consuming, carries less physical risk.
High-intensity training programs carry more than a few risks. For starters, such programs are intended for young and healthy people. If you have not engaged in a conditioning program for weeks, jumping into something strenuous such as Insanity or P90x can cause injury and harm to oneself. Heavy workouts can lead to rapid fatigue. This, in turn, can cause instability in your joints, which increases the potential of further injury. While these intense workouts can increase muscle mass, they can do so at a much quicker rate than your tendons can handle. This can cause tendonitis or a tear in the muscles and significantly impact your ability to exercise or participate in athletic events.
High-intensity training might seem like a good solution for someone who has little time and big fitness goals, but the risks can easily outweigh the rewards. The human body needs to be treated with caution, and many of these problems can be avoided with a few simple steps:
- protection
- education
- prevention
Taking care of your body should be as important a priority as anything else in your life. Find a way to make time for exercise, but don’t force yourself to do more with less.
Given the drawbacks of high-intensity exercise programs, let us recommend an exercise fitness program for you based on your individual capabilities. A good exercise program should keep you safe while it helps you attain your goals through measures realistic for your body.