HIIT?
Maybe you’ve heard this term, on the class workout schedule at the gym. Perhaps it’s caught your eye on a Facebook post, or came across your screen during a segment on the morning news. But what is it? HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. The premise of HIIT is bursts of high-intensity exercises, performed with 100% effort, interspersed with brief periods of rest. This method of training has been utilized by endurance runners and cyclists for decades, but only took the fitness world by storm a few years ago.
What does that look like?
Picture this: you’re in your living room, with your yoga mat unfurled and your phone sitting beside you, timer open. You hit ‘start,’ and you’re off! 20 jumping jacks, 10 squats, incline push-ups for 20 seconds, plank for 30 seconds. Pause; you rest for 30 seconds. And then you’re off again; jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, plank. Pause. Jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, plank. Pause. You repeat this cycle 4 times, each time giving it your all, so your heart rate is operating at at least 80% of its maximum capacity. It’s hard, and you’re breathing heavily, but suddenly; you’re done. It’s been less than 10 minutes, and your workout is over.
How is this different than other workout routines?
First and foremost, it’s efficient. If you’re someone who has difficulty finding time to dedicate an hour a day to working out, HIIT might be for you; routines can range from 5 minutes to 60 minutes, and can often be done with little or no equipment. Only have 20 minutes to spare while your little one is down for naptime? No problem! The high-intensity aspect of HIIT means that you glean all the benefits of a longer, more moderate-intensity workout in a fraction of the time.
What exactly are these benefits? Research has shown that HIIT burns a greater number of calories (25-30% more) in comparison to other steady-state exercises (running, biking, weight training) in the same amount of time. Furthermore, HIIT has an impressive ability to increase metabolic rate for hours post-exercise, which means your body burns calories from food more quickly. It has also been found to have a significant impact on reducing body fat, and tends to be most effective in fat reduction for those who are overweight/obese.
Anything else?
HIIT can also improve oxygen consumption, decrease resting heart rate, and decrease blood pressure. It has the potential to reduce blood sugar and improve insulin resistance, suggesting that it might be particularly beneficial for those at risk of Type-2 diabetes.
Okay, I’m sold.
Fantastic! You’re on your way to a healthier you. You can look up HIIT routines online or on YouTube, work with a trainer to develop a HIIT plan personalized for you, or join a HIIT program/class already in place at your gym or fitness center. Exercises can be adapted to suit your time allowance and your fitness level, meaning that HIIT can stay relevant throughout your always-changing health journey. And while you’re working out, you might as well get paid for it, right? Check out the HealthyWage Prize Calculator, where you’ll enter how much weight you want to lose (10-150 pounds, minimum 10% of your starting weight), how long you’ll take (6 to 18 months) and how much you want to bet ($20-$150/month). Based on that information, the calculator will determine a prize amount, up to $10,000, that you’ll win if you meet your goal! It’s a great way to keep yourself accountable while getting those high-intensity intervals in!
At the end of the day…
High-intensity interval training is a very efficient method of exercise. It can help you burn calories and fat while improving health outcomes like heart rate and blood pressure through mechanisms like higher metabolic rate. Overall, many of the the benefits of HIIT are benefits of exercise in general; HIIT simply allows you to achieve them in a shorter amount of time! So if you’re interested in getting active but have limited minutes to devote to a workout regimen, consider high-intensity interval training.
