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Metabolic and affective responses to high intensity training with Maori women

Year:
2016
Duration:
12 months
Approved budget:
$19,157.00
Researchers:
Dr Deborah Heke
Health issue:
Physical activity/exercise
Proposal type:
Māori Health Masters Scholarship
Lay summary
Although Māori are a target of physical activity initiatives in Aotearoa, due to higher rates of metabolic illnesses such as diabetes, sedentary behaviour is still a concern. Barriers such as time and cost have been given as reasons for not exercising, yet little is known about the perspectives and preferences of Māori toward exercise, particularly the preferences of Māori women. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become a popular mode of exercise for improving fitness and enhancing metabolic health. In fact, very short sessions of HIIT have been shown to produce significant improvements in metabolic health, making it potentially appealing for those with limited spare time. Although the nature of HIIT requires an intensity that may appear to be a barrier to overweight or inactive populations, the adapted protocol proposed for this research hopes to provide an effective and enjoyable option for Māori women to achieve positive metabolic health improvements.