No more excuses for skipping your workouts, high-intensity interval training or HIIT is here to fit right into your busy schedules. HIIT isn’t the easiest, but it is highly effective in keeping you fit.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is an intense level of training that incorporates high-intensity cardio in short bursts or intervals during your regular workout routines.
Intense bursts of exercise could involve a 100-meter sprint in between your 2-mile jog or 60 seconds of non-stop burpees. Any activity that increases the heart rate can be a part of HIIT training.
In order for HIIT to be as effective as possible, you need to push yourself to your limit during those short bursts of activity. And that leads us to talk about rest. It is important to have periods of rest in between your training in order for your body to recover and build stronger muscles.
Benefits of HIIT
HIIT exercises are meant to be tough because you are pushing your body to its limit or maybe even past it. HIIT is meant to challenge you and ultimately improve your health and endurance. Here are a few other benefits that come with HIIT.
1. Boosts Metabolism
HIIT will leave you burning calories even after you’ve left your workout space. Don’t believe us? When you push yourself to complete small bursts of intense activities, your body uses up more oxygen in the process. In order to keep up, your metabolism is signaled to start working harder, allowing you to burn calories during and after your training.
Another benefit of burning a high amount of calories is the anti-aging bonus. Due to your body’s increased caloric burn, the aging process slows down, keeping you feeling younger and fitter.
2. Burns Fat Quickly
Switching between an intense burst of exercise to a slower activity increases your fitness level and increases the number of calories you burn in the process. HIIT helps you burn more fat due to the intense workouts that come with it.
3. Promotes Heart Health
The heart is one of the most important organs in our body and putting it through intense training can benefit us in the long run. We all know that a good dose of cardio increases the heart rate.
With HITT, your heart is pushed into overdrive and working twice as hard as it would during a regular workout. All those quick sprints might make you feel like your heart is about to give out, but you’re only preparing your heart to live longer.
Pushing your heart to its full limit will make this organ stronger and healthier.
4. Maintains Insulin and Blood Sugar Levels
Individuals who suffer from Type 2 Diabetes can benefit from interval training due to the effect it has on your insulin and blood sugar level. Studies have shown that taking part in highly intense bursts of exercise can regulate your blood sugar.
5. No Equipment, Still Lots of Sweat
Although you could use a stationary bike or the treadmill to carry out intense exercises, jumping jacks and football runners are other great exercises that don’t require any equipment.
This is not weight training, so the use of weights is not needed as well. As long as you have an area where you can do some star jumps you are good to go.
6. Practice HIIT Anywhere
The best part about HIIT is that you can do it anywhere. Your room, your living room, the fun room at work, or, better yet, outdoors. The exercises only need a little bit of space and all you have to do is get your heart rate up and sweat!
Get Ready to Sweat
HIIT is a way to take your workout to the next level. The key is to keep yourself going during those short periods of time even when you feel like you can’t breathe. This is how you kickstart your metabolism and burn those calories.
As always, listen to your body. It is very important to take time off from your routine to rest. Talk to your trainer or do thorough research before you add HIIT to your routine.
The content of this Website is for is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and does not constitute professional advice. The information on this Website should not be considered as complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions, or their treatment. You should consult with your physician before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program and/or any of the beauty treatments.
References:
8 Proven Benefits of HIIT. (2017, November 13). Retrieved March 20, 2018, from https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-benefits-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit
7 Reasons To Try High-Intensity Interval Training. (2017, August 21). Retrieved March 20, 2018, from https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/high-intensity-interval-training/slide/7
