Quick fixes don’t usually exist in the fitness world. But what if I told you high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a short workout with benefits that surpass hour long workouts? HIIT is a combination of brief, very-high intensity bursts of cardio exercise followed by periods of rest. Think 30 seconds to a minute of sprinting, followed by a minute or two of walking or slow jogging. Repeat the cycle for just 10 minutes, and you’ll complete a HIIT workout.
Whether your goal is to lose weight or improve your mental and physical health, a few minutes of HIIT is as effective as any other long period of traditional working out. Research shows that people found just one minute of HIIT done three days a week for six weeks was enough to significantly improve health and wellness.
HIIT doesn’t discriminate either, from young to old these workouts can improve cardiorespiratory fitness nearly twice as much as longer stretches of moderate-intensity running, cycling or other aerobic exercises, one review study concluded.
So, how can HIIT do so much good in so little time?
The key to HIIT is pushing your heart rate up above 80% of its maximum. To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. An exercise you can try if you are new to HIIT would be sprint interval training. After walking or slow jogging for a few minutes to warm yourself up, sprint as hard as you can for 30 seconds then walk or jog slowly to recover. Other equipment you can use if running isn’t for you are stationary bikes, rowing machines or you can swim and not use any equipment.
There are no hard set rules when it comes to HIIT training so try out a couple different types of exercises to see what’s for you!
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