HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)

Not everyone has the time or will for a full hour of a workout. High intensity interval training (HIIT) is becoming more popular each day as a great alternative to longer workout sessions, but with the same effect. It’s principle is based on alternating high and low-intensity workouts in one-minute intervals or less. A HIIT workout will range from 10 to 30 min in duration. A HIIT workout using a stationary exercise bike could consist of 15-30 seconds of cycling as fast as possible against high resistance, followed by 30-45 sec of slow, easy cycling with low resistance. This is considered as one set. It’s a great way to speed up your metabolism and burn fat effectively in less time.

BENEFITS OF HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING:

• Improves cardiovascular fitness • Better overall health • Train anywhere anytime • Helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss • Higher calorie burn in a shorter period of time • Keeps your metabolism elevated after exercise

WHY IS IT SO POPULAR?

It can easily be modified for people of all fitness levels and special conditions, such as overweight and diabetes. It can be performed on all exercise modes, including cycling, walking, swimming, aqua training, elliptical cross-training, free weights and kettlebells and in many group exercise classes. They provide similar fitness benefits as continuous endurance workouts but in shorter periods of time. This is because the workouts tend to burn more calories than traditional workouts, especially after the workout. The post-exercise period is called “EPOC”, which stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. This is generally about a 2-hour period after an exercise bout where the body is restoring itself to pre-exercise levels, and thus using more energy. Because of the vigorous contractile nature of HIIT workouts, the EPOC generally tends to be modestly greater, adding about 6 to 15% more calories to the overall workout energy expenditure.

Attending workshops and seminars about high intensity training can help you add these workouts in your regular routine to get great results in less time.