It’s time to talk about a lot of people’s least favorite part of exercising, cardio. It has been drilled into our minds that running countless miles is the only way to do cardio. However, this is not the case. There is a form of training called HIIT. This stands for high-intensity interval training. This type of workout includes short bursts of combining cardio and strength training with short resting time between sets. HIIT workouts are the most effective and time-efficient way to increase your overall fitness. Incorporating HIIT workouts into your daily exercise routine can help spice up your workout and prevent you from getting bored with your workouts! Here are some examples of HIIT workouts.
HIIT Workouts:
- Sprints
- Burpees
- Kettlebell Swings
- Squat Jumps
- Jumping Jacks
Benefits of HIIT Workouts
- They are quick! Most HIIT routines are under 15 minutes and burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. These workouts produce similar benefits as longer workouts, which means no excuses! You can fit these into your busy schedule.
- Aids in weight loss! The high intensity of these types of workouts allow the body to produce lean muscle mass and burn fat at the same time.
- HIIT can help improve your oxygen consumption. Normally, this would be done through longer durations of cardio such as running, but HIIT allows you to reap the same benefits in a much shorter amount of time.
- HIIT aids in reducing blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and heart rates.
There are many ways to start incorporating HIIT workouts into your daily routine. For example, start by doing jumping jacks in between exercises at the gym. Another way is to do a combination of walking, running, and sprinting on a treadmill. This will increase your heart rate and get your body ready to HIIT the gym and burn those calories!
Written by GUADS Member Carly with contributions from healthline.com
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