HIIT, short for High-Intensity Interval Training, has been all over the pages of fitness magazines as of late, and rightly so. This is one form of training that actually covers it all, from fat burning to muscle building, right down to cardiovascular health.
What is HIIT Training?
Typically, cardio involves the switching between short periods of highly intense exercise and either lower-intensity exercise or rest. For example, you would sprint for 30 seconds, then walk for a minute, before repetition a few consecutive times. This idea works on the premise that during those short high-intensity moments, you are pushing your body to its limit, allowing you to burn more calories in a shorter period than if you were doing traditional steady-state cardio.
The Best Benefits of HIIT Workouts
1.Effective Fat Burning
One of the major advantages of HIIT is that it’s very effective for burning fat quickly. You’ll see that your body is burning a lot of calories in a short period since you are pushing yourself to maximum effort during those high-intensity intervals. Also, you will be enjoying an afterburn effect-following exercise energy expenditure more correctly termed Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC-in which your body is burning calories for a long period even after you have finished the workout.
Tip: Aim for 3 HIIT trainings a week; these can be done in about 20–30 minutes each for noticeable results in fat loss.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health
HIIT is excellent for the heart. The extreme intervals push your cardiovascular system to its limits, harden the heart, and increase its resistance over time. Several studies have shown that this form of training can improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular fitness even better than cardio workouts.
Quick Fact: As little as 10 minutes of HIIT have proven to yield identical cardiovascular benefits as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.
3. Saves Time
Probably the most significant benefit related to HIIT is that it is very time-effective. In today’s world, no one has any time to exercise. With HIIT, though, because the workouts are short and extremely intense, one can receive the same benefits as longer workouts in a fraction of the time. This is perfect for those on a tight schedule desiring to stay in shape without having to spend excessive amounts of time in the gym.
Pro Tip: You can have an effective HIIT workout in as little as 20 minutes, making it quite easy even for very busy days.
4. Lean Muscle Mass
Well, aside from fat burning, HIIT is effective in building lean muscles. The combination of intense intervals and bodyweight exercises or resistance training helps stimulate muscle growth, specifically in the legs, core, and upper body. That means you will get leaner but also develop a more toned and defined physique.
Workout Suggestion: For better results in muscle building, add burpees, jump squats, and pushups to your HIIT routine.
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5. It Accelerates Metabolism Performance
HIIT training can increase your metabolism for a great deal of time after exercising. Your body needs more oxygen to recover from the jolts of extreme activity, and that means even while resting, you are burning more calories than you would after other forms of exercise. This is referred to as an “afterburn” and will allow you to lose more calories throughout the day.
Interesting Fact: Your metabolism can continue for up to 24 hours after a HIIT workout.
6. Improves Insulin Sensitivity
On the other hand, HIIT training regularly might improve the sensitivity of insulin, that is, the ability of one’s body to manage blood sugar. Essentially, this fact makes HIIT very effective for people at risk of type 2 diabetes or those who would simply like to keep their blood sugar in good health.
Health Tip: If you combine HIIT along with a whole-food nutritionally dense diet, your insulin sensitivity may skyrocket.
7. Improves Endurance and Stamina
HIIT pushes your body to the limit, hence helping one improve in endurance and stamina over some time. The reason being, your heart, lungs, and muscles start to adapt to those intense bursts of exercises, you’ll notice you do other things even better, be it running, cycling, or weight-lifting.
8. Equipment Not Needed
The best thing about HIIT workouts is that they can be performed anywhere and at any time without any equipment. One can always do jumping jacks, high knees, or mountain climbers when at home, in a park, or even traveling and yet manage a very good workout. With all these in place, HIIT does prove to be quite versatile and can be used by any person irrespective of fitness level.
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Home Workout Idea: Do a 20-minute HIIT session that can include squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks.
9. Relieves Stress
The strenuous bouts of exercises in HIIT release endorphins, otherwise known as “feel-good” hormones. This would contribute to reducing stress significantly and improving mood, which could even fight anxiety and depression. A feeling of accomplishment after a hard session of doing HIIT boosts confidence and overall well-being.
10. How to Get Started with HIIT Training
Ready to try HIIT? Well, here’s one basic, beginner-friendly routine:
Warm up: 5 minutes jogging in place, jumping jacks, or light stretching.
HIIT Circuit (20 minutes):
- 30-second high knees
- Rest for 30 seconds
- Burpees for 30 seconds
- 30 seconds of rest
- Mountain climbers for 30 seconds
- 30 seconds of rest
- Squat jumps for 30 seconds
- Rest for 30 seconds
Repeat this circuit four times.
Cool Down: 5 minutes: Stretch muscles and deep breathing exercises to be performed that would help lower the heart rate.
Final Thoughts
Benefits of HIIT training range from fat burning to muscle building, improvement in cardiovascular health, and increased endurance. It is time-efficient and adaptable, keeping your metabolism running for a longer period, therefore fitting people with busy lifestyles. Adding HIIT to your workout routine will completely change the dynamics of your fitness, enabling you to reach your goals much faster.
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