It’s not always easy for everybody to find the time to work out. Social obligations, busy workdays as well as friends and family members can all fill up our schedules. This makes it challenging to get a workout in. That’s why we adore high-intensity interval training, or HIIT workouts. This is because they’re a fast, effective way to get a great workout in a short period of time.
You are already aware that regular physical activity is good for your overall health and wellness — but it can sometimes be difficult to fit in workouts during busy periods, especially when you’ve got other personal and professional priorities.
It looks too good to be genuine, but studies show that half an hour of interval training, which includes between 10 and 20 minutes of warm-up and cool-down, has exactly the same cardiovascular benefits that 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity has. In addition, over the past several years, studies have connected HIIT exercises with ample health benefits, according to the discoveries published by AARP. These range from:
- Improving your heart health,
- Lowering blood pressure,
- Building muscle
- Even protecting against mental decline.
What Is A HIIT Workout?
High-intensity interval training workouts (HIIT) requires you to alternate your workout between several seconds of high-intensity work and then multiple seconds of low-intensity work. You only need a handful of minutes to reap the rewards. That makes it a particularly effective exercise option for anyone who is short on time — but whether you have 20 minutes or an hour to work out, HIIT is beneficial for us all.
Interval training helps the development of lean body mass, which is needed for a healthy metabolism. Although HIIT has been around for a very a long time, it’s all the rage recently, with new studios opening up everywhere concentrating primarily on this style of exercise. But the great news is that it is possible for you to accomplish the same activities as well as burn fat in your local gym, too!
How To Design Your Own HIIT Workout
HIIT workouts are efficient, as we’ve said before, but to enjoy their calorie-burning, heart-healthy benefits you’re going to need to push yourself. HIIT is all about rapidly increasing the heart rate and feeling sweaty, out of breath and out of your comfort zone.
So, while you’re pushing yourself just remember that the workout will be over before you know it. All high-intensity sessions, no matter your level of fitness, should last no longer than 30 minutes. This includes warm-up and cool-down.
Anything longer than that, say personal trainers, and you’re sacrificing intensity and power for length. Pushing the length of your workout too long means you aren’t hitting the sweet spot of intensity.
The best part of integrating HIIT into your workout routine really happens after your workout. High-intensity interval training increases your resting metabolic rate anywhere between 24-48 hours after you’re done with your workout. This means that you’ll be burning more fat by just walking around, being you than you would with no HIIT in your workout routine.
This happens because biologically, we are meant to move in two ways: aerobically (travelling long distance on foot) and anaerobically (such as sprinting away from danger). Anaerobic training, for example HIIT, recruits fat for fuel, which leaves us with strong, lean bodies that have healthy hearts, speed, and power.
The best way to remain motivated is through the process of tracking and measuring your progress. Mark your start, which means writing down what you accomplished on day one of your workout programme.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Want to learn more about HIIT? If you do, then check out our HIIT and Functional Trainer Course. For more information and to register, please follow this link.
