Maintaining a healthy weight is a balance of diet and exercise. According to recent statistics, over 60 percent of Americans are classified as overweight or obese. If you’re new to trying to start a healthy exercise routine, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed at the different terms and exercise plans.
One of the most popular types of exercise training is HIIT. But what does HIIT stand for in exercise? In this article, we’ll explore this type of exercise program and the benefits it could offer.
What is HIIT?
HIIT is an acronym for High Intensity Interval Training. However, it goes a little beyond this name. HIIT actually refers to a particular and specific type of exercise, as it is possible to perform interval training without actually completing a HIIT workout.
The main trait of HIIT exercise is repeating hard bouts of work with periods of recovery. During the work phases, you will challenge yourself. This is the opposite approach to going for a long easy run, where you pace yourself to sustain activity for longer.
How HIIT Works
When you go for it during HIIT, your body relies on breaking down glucose to produce the energy you need. So, while you enjoy an immediate supply of energy, it is limited, so you can sustain the maximum effort for just a short time.
Most HIIT exercise plans have intervals of approximately 20 seconds, with a recovery time of two or three times longer. So, if you’re sprinting for 15 seconds, you may have a recovery time of 30 to 45 seconds before you start the next interval.
The recovery period is essential as you force your body to acclimate frequently between the two highly different states. This provides excellent cardio conditioning. Just bear in mind that you need to prepare your body to perform at the max during the spurts of high intensity activity.
The Benefits of HIIT
There are a number of benefits associated with HIIT exercise. These include:
Efficiency:
HIIT is a great option if you have a busy schedule. You can fit in workouts during your lunch break and research suggests that 15 minutes of HIIT training three times a week is more effective than an hour of jogging on a treadmill. In a 2011 American College of Sports Medicine report, it documented that two weeks of HIIT can improve your aerobic capacity with similar results to eight weeks of endurance training.
Fat Burning:
You can burn more calories during HIIT compared to steady rate cardio, but the intense exertion also boosts the body’s repair cycle. So, you’ll burn more calories and fat in the 24 hours after your HIIT workout compared to taking a run.
Improved Heart Health:
While your priority may be to shift a few extra pounds, heart health is another important benefit of exercise. In a 2006 study, participants could cycle twice as long at the same pace after eight weeks of HIIT exercise.
You Don’t Need Fancy Equipment:
Cost is often a barrier to entry for many exercise plans, but you don’t need any fancy equipment for HIIT. Jump rope, running, rowing and biking are all great tasks for HIIT. Anything that gets the heart rate up, including high knees or jumping lunges are great equipment free HIIT intervals. In fact, using dumbbells can make a HIIT workout less effective, as you won’t be pushing your heart rate lifting.
Do it Anywhere:
Another great benefit of HIIT is that you can do a workout anywhere. Since you’re working at maximum effort in short bursts, you can modify your workout according to the time and space you have available.
So, even if you only have 10 minutes, you can squeeze in a quick workout and still enjoy all the benefits of HIIT.
Boost in Metabolism:
HIIT stimulates HGH (Human Growth Hormone) production by as much as 450 percent during the 24 hours after your workout. HGH can increase calorie burn and slow down the aging process.
How to Get Started With HIIT
HIIT workouts range from five minutes up to 15 to 20 minutes. Beginners should aim for 10 minutes and then increase the intervals as your fitness improves.
Start slowly to build your recovery rate. So, you may start with 15 seconds of intense activity and 45 seconds of recovery. But you may be able to bring this down to 15 seconds of work and 20 to 30 seconds recovery.
The number of workouts each week will depend on your other activity. Beginners should aim for two or three HIIT sessions each week, if you don’t do any other exercise. This allows for recovery between workouts and reduces the risk of injury. As your fitness develops, you can increase to three to five workouts each week
Tips to Get the Most from Your First HIIT Workouts
While you may now be familiar with what to expect from HIIT workouts, you may still have some concerns. So, here are some tips to help you.
Plan the Workouts Before Starting:
If you want to create an effective HIIT workout, you need a plan. This will allow you to set your rest and work intervals to suit your current fitness. Start with 15 seconds of activity and one minute of rest and reduce the ratio as you increase your fitness.
It is also to choose the types of exercises you want to do. If you want to boost your strength, consider exercises that target various muscle groups such as crunches, burpees or pushups. Or if sprint training is your aim, concentrate on running, swimming or cycling.
Maintain Proper Form:
Although you are only working out for a short period, it is important to maintain proper form. Practice the movements if you’re unsure and make any modifications to suit your fitness level and ability.
Wear the Correct Footwear:
It is important to wear the right shoes for the type of exercises you will be doing. If you will be doing high impact exercises, be sure to choose sneakers with more cushioning.
Go For Maximum Effort:
Finally, remember that you can only achieve maximum benefits if you go for maximum effort. With the short work interval rates, you can exert yourself and achieve your target heart rate. You should find yourself a little breathless during the activity.
Now you know what does HIIT stand for in exercise, you should be able to determine if this type of working out will help you meet your fitness goals. HIIT offers numerous benefits and since you don’t need any fancy equipment, there is no reason not to give it a try.