Working out is a very important part of life because people today don't get the natural physical fitness they did in the past. As people in the past worked manually, even have to make their way to the gym. Today, many people work in offices where they do not have the opportunity to move around so much. Therefore, they have to somehow fit in a workout routine into their daily lives, and the more, the merrier, as is the case with extreme fitness.

Challenging workouts provide the most benefits, helping people lose weight and get fit faster and most effectively. However, people also have to be careful not to overdo it, and to at least progress at a slow pace. Delving into extreme workouts can actually cause injuries to muscles, and sometimes to bones.

One very popular program is known as CrossFit. It was developed in the year 2000, and focused on strengthening the body, promoting flexibility and cardio endurance. It uses gymnastics and aerobic exercise, as well as weightlifting and many other beneficial types of exercise.

Another high-intensity interval training program is called the Tabata protocol. Created by Dr. Tabata, who used a team of researchers to study the impact of high intensity intermittent training. Subjects trained intensely for exactly 20 seconds and then were given a 10 second rest, and repeated for four minutes.

Subjects were tested for a few weeks, and the results were astounding. In fact, his subjects increased and anaerobic capacity by 28 percent, and 14 percent in their oxygen consumption. The outcome is simply proves that this is even better than one hour of endurance exercise.

The benefits and harmful effects of extreme workouts have been carefully measured with regards to intense workouts. This is been proven, especially by the team in the Tabata regime. The only thing is that people should be careful not to over extend themselves if they aren't already fit. In such a case, it would be highly recommended for people to gradually reach these levels before engaging in more challenging workouts.

The medical community pushes people to become physically active because they understand the importance of exercise. Being healthy requires movement, and that will bring on a stronger immune system which can fight debilitating diseases. The results can be longevity and a higher quality of life.