
UC HEALTH LINE: Extreme Exercise Programs Are Not Necessarily Insanity
CINCINNATIYouve likely seen or heard the infomercials: Groups of buff, beaming with vigor adults toutingand sometimes SHOUTINGthe benefits of muscle confusion and bursts of extreme exercise.
The costs of these mail-order exercise videos tend to run around $100, with a money-back guarantee if you dont see results in a given time.
But is there a cost to your body?
"Well its definitely not designed for straight-off-the-couch people, but most are self-paced and Ive not seen one patient with an injury related to any of the new video exercise programs, says Jon Divine, MD, a sports medicine physician with UC Health and head team physician for the University of Cincinnati (UC) Bearcats.
While not endorsing any one program, Divine says he has personally tried portions of a video series which is currently all the rage in extreme exercise videos.
"It seems to be fundamentally sound as an exercise prescription and Ive used a few of the routines. Its hard, but not that hard, says Divine.
The theory behind muscle confusion, he says, is nothing new: "Its just a fancy term for mixing up activities because once we train in an activity we become more efficient or adapt.
The diversity of exercises is also a motivational factor, as people tend to get bored with the same routine.
What isnt likely, however, is that any of these programs will give you back the body you had as a young athlete.
"Its great marketing to entice the ex-athlete, but to get that level of fitness back would be at the far end of the bell curve ... the rest of us are going to fall somewhere in the middle.
The key, Divine says, is in knowing your fitness levelit is always recommended to consult a physician before starting a new exercise programand modifying moves that are a struggle or stopping if something causes pain.
"These programs do offer potential, if you are disciplined enough to stick to them.
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