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TAKE YOUR WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL…IN HALF THE TIME!
Let’s face it, spending countless hours at the gym everyday on a cardio machine isn’t much fun. If you could burn more calories, lose more fat and improve your fitness whilst spending only half the time at the gym, you’d probably take that option, right? Well, great news. There is now a growing body of research which suggests that, in both adults and kids, shorter high intensity training is a much more efficient way to see the same health effects as you would get from endurance training. The benefits can even be reaped from low-
volume high intensity interval training, for instance, 15 to 60 second bursts of high intensity cycling interspersed with two to four minute intervals of low intensity cycling.
So what is High Intensity Interval Training and How Does it Work? High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a specialised form of interval training, involving short intervals of maximum intensity exercise, followed by longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercise. As it involves briefly pushing yourself towards the upper end of your limits, this 1
offers several advantages that traditional steady-state exercise simply can’t provide. For instance, it increases the length of time it takes for your body to recover from each session and therefore increases the number of calories burned during the exercise session and afterwards. It also appears to limit the muscle loss that can occur with weight loss, in comparison to traditional steady state cardio. There is also convincing evidence which shows that people are much more likely to stick to a routine of high intensity interval training, than long endurance regimes. This is probably because HIIT takes a lot less time to complete. Packed schedules are one of the leading reasons that so many adults simply don’t exercise. Even more good news…it has also been shown that HIIT is appropriate for people of all ages and fitness levels! But what if I like longer cardio workouts? Well, it is important to recognise that less intense cardio workouts can still play an important role. Long distance runners for instance will evidently have to complete some distance running in preparation for big races. As sprint based exercises can deplete the body’s energy stores, it can be
worth mixing up your routine with some less intense workouts- these can help the body refuel! No matter what your goals are, one of the most important elements of establishing an exercise routine is evidently to find a routine that you actually enjoy. As a result, you can maintain it. For those who really love to do a 45-60 minute run on the treadmill at the exact same pace, you don’t necessarily have to switch to interval training immediately. But it is good to know that you can fast track your results by adding in some more intense, shorter workouts regularly. When you’re in a huge rush, it means there is still time to burn lots of calories.
Final thoughts
Including some HIIT workouts in your routine can decrease the amount of time you need to spend at the gym, and fast track your results. If you haven’t tried it before, don’t stress…this type of training is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Give interval training a shot, so that you can maximise each workout
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