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High intensity interval training (HIIT): What It Is, Benefits & How to Do It

One of the most common excuses for not exercising is "I don't have time," as most traditional workouts need at least one hour of dedication per day. By combining an efficient exercise in half the time, high intensity interval training, or HIIT, overcomes duration concerns. In fact, HIIT has taken its place as one of the top 10 fitness trends in our time-constrained society. It is regarded as a full exercise that involves both aerobic and strength (resistance) training in around 30 minutes. The intensity is high enough produce results comparable to a lengthier exercise session.

What is HIIT?

HIIT is short for high intensity training and consists of many rounds that alternate between brief intervals of lower intensity movement and several minutes of high intensity activity to raise the heart rate to at least 80% of one's maximal heart rate. Elite Olympic athletes employed interval training to enhance their performance, and it was initially introduced in the 1950s as a higher intensity type known as sprint interval training, which reached 100% maximum heart rate.

The primary resistance may be achieved primarily with body weight, without the need for supplementary equipment. Additionally, HIIT workouts often don't take up a lot of room, which makes them perfect for at-home training. Exercise styles that can incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) include dance, rowing machines, stationary bicycles, stair climbers, and jogging (both outside and on a treadmill). One to five-minute music tracks can be used to time the interval lengths.

The names Tabata and circuit training are also synonymous with HIIT:

  • Professor Izumi Tabata developed the Tabata method of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in 1996 with Olympic speedskaters. He engaged in very intense workouts with very little recovery time in between. Tabata sessions last 20 to 30 minutes on average and urge participants to work out as hard as they can, but they also allow them to self-regulate.
  • Eight to twelve workout stations that focus on various muscle groups are used in circuit training. Every station has a participant cycle through, doing a single, multi-minute workout. HIIT stimulates maximal effort by attaining 80–90% of maximum heart rate, whereas circuit training has a varied intensity.

7 Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

The benefits of HIIT include the following:

  • Because it prolongs the time it takes your body to recover from each exercise session, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) boosts the number of calories burned both during and after your workout. It also results in metabolic changes that help you burn more fat for energy in a range of situations, which can increase both your capacity to burn fat and your level of athletic endurance.
  • Anyone who has ever been on a diet understands how difficult it is to maintain muscle mass while losing weight. Even worse, cortisol production from steady state exercise appears to promote muscle loss. Actually, HIIT exercises guarantee that the majority of weight reduction comes from fat reserves while allowing dieters to maintain their hard-earned muscle.
  • Not only is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) more efficient and effective than traditional cardio, but it also offers health advantages that ordinary aerobic exercise just cannot match, such a significant increase in human growth hormone (HGH). This is fantastic news since HGH not only increases your burning of calories but also delays the aging process, leaving you looking younger on the inside. It resembles a metabolic fountain of youth in certain ways.
  • Exercises that are perfect for HIIT include running, bicycling, jump roping, and rowing; the exercises don't require any special equipment. Plyometric exercises like leaping lunges, high knees, and quick feet are equally effective in raising heart rate quickly.
  • A number of the genes impacted by a short-term exercise session are also those involved in the metabolism of fat. Your body almost instantly experiences genetic activation during exercise, which raises the synthesis of lipolytic (fat-busting) enzymes. After an HIIT exercise, you've not only burnt a ton of calories but also accelerated your metabolism, which is something that everyone aspires to, even when they're at rest. 
  • Finding time to work out is never easy. You feel healthier and have more time to enjoy life after these brief, effective HIIT sessions.
  • Although the HIIT method of aerobic training may be adjusted to suit varying levels of fitness, it is undoubtedly physically taxing. However, HIIT might not be for you—at least not right now—if you have any cardiovascular issues or other health issues that prevent you from exercising at extremely high intensities.

 

How to Do a HIIT Workout?

Consider it as a sequence of little tasks. In essence, you accelerate over a brief amount of time (20 to several minutes) and then decelerate for an equivalent or marginally extended active recovery phase. Continue going back and forth like this for the entire workout.

Aerobic activities, which raise heart rate fast, work well in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions. Possible exercises consist of the following:

  • Jogging, whether on a treadmill or outside
  • Brisk walking at any location that suits you best
  • Riding a stationary bike or riding a bike
  • Climbing stairs within your home or on a stepper machine
  • Rowing a boat or a canal
  • Activities using body weight, such as burpees, squat leaps, jumping jacks, and lunges

Your workout intensity will determine how frequently you perform HIIT, but two to three days a week is a reasonable goal.

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One of the most common excuses for not exercising is "I don't have time," as most traditional workouts need at least one hour of dedication per day. By combining an efficient exercise in half the time, high intensity interval training, or HIIT, overcomes duration concerns. In fact, HIIT has taken its place as one of the top 10 fitness trends in our time-constrained society. It is regarded as a full exercise that involves both aerobic and strength (resistance) training in around 30 minutes. The intensity is high enough produce results comparable to a lengthier exercise session.

What is HIIT?

HIIT is short for high intensity training and consists of many rounds that alternate between brief intervals of lower intensity movement and several minutes of high intensity activity to raise the heart rate to at least 80% of one's maximal heart rate. Elite Olympic athletes employed interval training to enhance their performance, and it was initially introduced in the 1950s as a higher intensity type known as sprint interval training, which reached 100% maximum heart rate.

The primary resistance may be achieved primarily with body weight, without the need for supplementary equipment. Additionally, HIIT workouts often don't take up a lot of room, which makes them perfect for at-home training. Exercise styles that can incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) include dance, rowing machines, stationary bicycles, stair climbers, and jogging (both outside and on a treadmill). One to five-minute music tracks can be used to time the interval lengths.

The names Tabata and circuit training are also synonymous with HIIT:

  • Professor Izumi Tabata developed the Tabata method of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in 1996 with Olympic speedskaters. He engaged in very intense workouts with very little recovery time in between. Tabata sessions last 20 to 30 minutes on average and urge participants to work out as hard as they can, but they also allow them to self-regulate.
  • Eight to twelve workout stations that focus on various muscle groups are used in circuit training. Every station has a participant cycle through, doing a single, multi-minute workout. HIIT stimulates maximal effort by attaining 80–90% of maximum heart rate, whereas circuit training has a varied intensity.

7 Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

The benefits of HIIT include the following:

  • Because it prolongs the time it takes your body to recover from each exercise session, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) boosts the number of calories burned both during and after your workout. It also results in metabolic changes that help you burn more fat for energy in a range of situations, which can increase both your capacity to burn fat and your level of athletic endurance.
  • Anyone who has ever been on a diet understands how difficult it is to maintain muscle mass while losing weight. Even worse, cortisol production from steady state exercise appears to promote muscle loss. Actually, HIIT exercises guarantee that the majority of weight reduction comes from fat reserves while allowing dieters to maintain their hard-earned muscle.
  • Not only is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) more efficient and effective than traditional cardio, but it also offers health advantages that ordinary aerobic exercise just cannot match, such a significant increase in human growth hormone (HGH). This is fantastic news since HGH not only increases your burning of calories but also delays the aging process, leaving you looking younger on the inside. It resembles a metabolic fountain of youth in certain ways.
  • Exercises that are perfect for HIIT include running, bicycling, jump roping, and rowing; the exercises don't require any special equipment. Plyometric exercises like leaping lunges, high knees, and quick feet are equally effective in raising heart rate quickly.
  • A number of the genes impacted by a short-term exercise session are also those involved in the metabolism of fat. Your body almost instantly experiences genetic activation during exercise, which raises the synthesis of lipolytic (fat-busting) enzymes. After an HIIT exercise, you've not only burnt a ton of calories but also accelerated your metabolism, which is something that everyone aspires to, even when they're at rest. 
  • Finding time to work out is never easy. You feel healthier and have more time to enjoy life after these brief, effective HIIT sessions.
  • Although the HIIT method of aerobic training may be adjusted to suit varying levels of fitness, it is undoubtedly physically taxing. However, HIIT might not be for you—at least not right now—if you have any cardiovascular issues or other health issues that prevent you from exercising at extremely high intensities.

 

How to Do a HIIT Workout?

Consider it as a sequence of little tasks. In essence, you accelerate over a brief amount of time (20 to several minutes) and then decelerate for an equivalent or marginally extended active recovery phase. Continue going back and forth like this for the entire workout.

Aerobic activities, which raise heart rate fast, work well in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions. Possible exercises consist of the following:

  • Jogging, whether on a treadmill or outside
  • Brisk walking at any location that suits you best
  • Riding a stationary bike or riding a bike
  • Climbing stairs within your home or on a stepper machine
  • Rowing a boat or a canal
  • Activities using body weight, such as burpees, squat leaps, jumping jacks, and lunges

Your workout intensity will determine how frequently you perform HIIT, but two to three days a week is a reasonable goal.