Have you been wanting to start your fitness/wellness journey and are wondering where to start? Do you think you don't have enough time to get to a gym and train for at least an hour? Well, you don't have to start there. HIIT is a great way to introduce your body to exercise with minimal time. HIIT, or High Intensity Interval Training, is a short but effective workout where you keep your heart rate up build strength. An effective HIIT workout will only last 15-20 minutes with a warmup and cooldown. The goal is to keep the intensity up throughout the workout by resting minimally, usually 15-30 seconds, between each exercise or set. "Ok, well besides getting my heartrate up, what else can HIIT do for me?" HIIT has a list of benefits with such a short amount of time. 6 of them are ...
1. Lowering Your Blood Pressure.
2. Helping you Burn Body Fat in a Short Amount of Time.
3. Improve Oxygen Consumption.
4. Increasing your Metabolism.
5. Building Strength.
6. Can Be Done Anywhere.
We will go into further detail on each of these benefits. Giving you a well-rounded grasp of what HIIIT is and what it does.
1. Lowering Your Blood Pressure.
As you're doing your workout you may wonder, "How the heck is THIS going to lower my blood pressure!" The result comes gradually over time. As you stay consistent with
your HIIT workouts you will begin to notice your resting heartrate is a bit lower than it used to be. That's because your heart is now working more efficiently, not just while you're resting but during your workouts too and doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood throughout your body.
2. Burning Body Fat in a Shorter Amount of Time.
Whether you have 10 or 100 pounds you would like to lose, HIIT is a great way to burn body fat in a short amount of time. Since you are keeping your heartrate elevated through almost the entire workout and using multiple muscle groups your body is working harder, thus burning more calories. HIIT can be anywhere from 10-20 minutes, as long as you are keeping that heartrate elevated. Choose movements that you can complete with good form at a rapid pace. There's no sense causing damage to your body while we're trying to improve it. As you fatigue be mindful of your form and modify the movement if needed. Either a shorter range of motion or an alternative. Listen to your body! If feels genuinely painful, change the movement.
3. Improving Oxygen Consumption.
This is another affect that comes AFTER your workouts. After you have finished your HIIT workout you may notice you have more energy throughout the day. That is due to your body becoming more efficient and absorbing oxygen and dispersing it throughout your body. Gradually over time you will notice that you have more overall energy and focus throughout your daily routine. I would advise keeping your workouts to mornings or mid-day, due to the fact that you don't want these workouts to affect your sleep.
4. Increasing your Metabolism.
During your HIIT workouts you are not only strengthening your heart and lungs but building lean muscle as well. As you begin to lose body fat and build muscle you may notice your appetite start to increase. That is because muscle burns 7-10 calories per day per pound as opposed to fat which only burns 2-3 calories per pound. Don't be frightened by your increased appetite, listen to it and feed your body with quality foods that will help those healthy tissues grow. The more lean muscle you have the easier it is to maintain a healthy weight.
5. Building Strength.
Interval training is not just for strengthening your heart muscle, but all the other muscles that encompass your body. It all depends on what exercises you choose and in what order you perform them in. For example, if you would like to build your upper body strength, then start with exercises that challenge those muscles, such as pushups, side planks or shoulder presses. By prioritizing your less dominant muscle groups you will begin to create balance within the body. Over time those positions will become easier because you're building muscle and strength in those positions. You will also build muscular endurance, which is your muscle's ability to work longer under stress, and you can do more of the fun activities you love to do.
6. HIIT Workouts Can Be Done ANYWHERE.
Short on time, but still want to get your workout in? You're in luck! HIIT workouts can be done anywhere and with anything. For example, if you're working from home you can use your desk as a platform for your planks, pushups or mountain climbers. You can even do things as seemingly simple as jumping jacks and running in place. Just choose exercises that hit multiple muscle groups at the same time with minimal rest in between. Don't let your surroundings limit you from getting a great quick workout. Be creative and think outside of the box.
Whether you would like to lose some bodyfat, improve your heart health, or just improve your strength, HIIT is a great way to get in a great workout with minimal time but maximum effort. Start with one workout a week and over time gradually build in more workouts into your weekly routine. Remember, anyone at any fitness level can do them. Just start with a few movements that you can perform properly and don't cause any discomfort to your joints. We're looking to improve your body's condition, not worsen it. Everyone is different and find exercises that speak to your specific goals.
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