What Is HIIT?
If you’re a gym goer, fitness enthusiast or simply someone who is looking to live a little healthier, you may have heard the term “HIIT” being thrown around in conversation. HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a type of cardio training that shifts from bursts of more intense movements to short recovery or “rest” periods over the course of a set.
Multiple sets of these exercises help give some control and flexibility when it comes to establishing a specific difficulty and time frame, making HIIT a great option for anyone looking to burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time.
Like any exercise, HIIT should be practiced safely and at your own individual intensity—you should never push yourself beyond your limits. Be sure to check with your doctor if this type of exercise is right for you before starting a routine.
Benefits of HIIT
It’s no secret that regular exercise is one of the cornerstones for a healthy lifestyle, however one concern that causes many of us to skip out is the amount of time a workout can take. We feel too busy or simply struggle with motivation when it comes to dedicating an hour to our fitness.
HIIT can help bridge that gap by giving you control over if you want to have a good 15-minute HIIT workout or even a 45-minute burn session. It just depends on how many sets you want to do and regardless of the number you’re still getting a lot out of a short period of time.
There’s also the versatility of where you can do that session. The draw being that you can enjoy a HIIT training home workout, making it convenient if you’re not particularly interested in going to a gym or class.
The benefits of HIIT on your cardiovascular health can prove beneficial by improving our peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), or the amount of oxygen we can use during intense exercise.1 This measurement plays into our overall cardiorespiratory health and function and how well we can transport oxygen from the air to our tissues during certain levels of physical activity.2
One study observed 67 adults while in confinement during the COVID-19 lockdown and found that home-based HIIT workouts helped with feelings of anxiousness and stress—even moreso than moderate-intensity training.3
The most well-known benefit of HIIT training is its effect on weight loss. Along with a healthy diet, HIIT workouts can be efficient and effective for managing a healthy weight and metabolism.4 Between the physical and mental benefits that can come with HIIT workouts, it proves to be a great total-body approach to overall fitness and wellness.
HIIT Workouts for Beginners
Ready to get started? Our in-house certified fitness coach, Dawn Zink, put together the perfect HIIT workout for beginners that you can do practically anywhere.
Elevate Your HIIT Workouts
If you’re a seasoned HIIT veteran or are looking to amplify your workouts, adding supplements like pre-workout or creatine can help keep your energy reserves sustained and promote strength over time. If you’re more focused on maintaining a healthy weight, supplementing fat burners into your day-to-day can help stimulate your body’s metabolism and work in tandem with your exercise routine. BCAAs and protein can help shorten recovery time and keep muscles fueled so you can get back to it and hit your goals on your schedule.
Regardless of your supplement regimen, a little bit of movement each day can boost your fitness and help you continue to do the things that you love.
You be well, now.
Swanson
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
About Dawn Zink, Certified Fitness Instructor
Dawn Zink has been with Swanson for more than eight years and is a Fitness Instructor with certifications in BodyPump™, RPM™, Sprint™ and The Trip™ through Les Mills™. She has been coaching and instructing fitness classes for over ten years, with a particular love for HIIT training.
Sources:
- High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases - The key to an efficient exercise protocol. World Journal of Cardiology. Read source
- Maximal oxygen uptake as a parametric measure of cardiorespiratory capacity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Read source
- Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Moderate-Intensity Training on Stress, Depression, Anxiety, and Resilience in Healthy Adults During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Confinement: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Psychology. Read source
- Effectiveness of high-intensity interval training for weight loss in adults with obesity: a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. Read source
