High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Benefits and Best Practices
These days, one of the most widely known types of workouts is High-Intensity Interval Training also known as HIIT. It is a type of training that combines short and intense activities in exercise with passive rest or a low physical activity period. HIIT has been acknowledged for delivering numerous health benefits in a shorter time than steady-state cardio. In this HIIT guide, you will find information on the benefits of HIIT and tips on how to use it to the maximum.
What is HIIT?
A type of cardiovascular exercise where workouts are done in a short duration and performed at full capacity alternated with short rest periods. Ideally, a HIIT session lasts for as little as 10 minutes and as long as 30 minutes depending on one’s fitness levels and the objective of the workout.
Basic Structure of a HIIT Workout:
Warm-Up: Small 5-10 min sessions of warm-up before exercising to prepare the body for some exercise.
Intervals: This consists of 20-60 seconds of an intense exercise that is then followed by a low-intensity exercise for 10-60 seconds or even no exercise at all.
Cool-Down: either 2-5 minutes of moderate to intensive stretching, or 5-10 minutes of slow mobilization to help the muscles to relax and recuperate.
Benefits of HIIT
Time Efficiency
Time effectiveness is one of the HIIT biggest benefits, as it only takes a small portion of a person’s day to complete an effective workout. HIIT workouts can be managed in a shorter period than the regular workout yet they are effective in the process.
Example: High-intensity interval Training can be as effective as moderate-intensity continuous training, therefore performing a HIIT session of 20 minutes has the same cardiovascular and metabolic impact as 60 minutes of moderate-intensity training.
Increased Calorie Burn
It involves practicing high-intensity activities in a short period and is extremely effective in calorie expenditure both during and post-workout. It produces a series of short but powerful efforts that push the heart rate and metabolism higher and burn more calories.
Afterburn Effect: HIIT has several other names, including excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC); this makes your metabolism rate high for hours after training, enhancing the total calories burnt.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
HIIT has been proven to positively impact different aspects such as cardiovascular health concerning blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and VO2 max respective of the ability of the human body to utilize oxygen during periods of physical activity.
Research Findings: Exploration conducted in this field has established that HIIT can reduce blood pressure and enhance the health of the cardiovascular system among hypertensive and persons with other heart complications.
Enhanced Fat Loss
HIIT is especially useful for weight loss, including the loss of the dangerous visceral fat, which is, in essence, fat located around the internal organs. Working through the exercises with high intensity as compared to moderate-intensity exercises contributes to fat loss.
Comparison: Studies show that HIIT is far more effective for burning body fat compared to classic steady-state exercises, even though the workouts are less long.
Hypetrophy and Hyperalgesia
HIIT also benefits in building and maintaining muscle mass as it also aids in the reduction of body fat. HIIT workouts employ bodyweight exercises or resistance training, which work on individual muscles, hence enhancing muscle definition and power.
Muscle Preservation: This is because HIIT is not like long-duration cardio exercises that cause muscle breakdown while HIIT facilitates muscle development.
Improved Insulin Sensitivity
Several metabolic benefits include enhanced insulin sensitivity where HIIT helps the body to better regulate glucose intake and protect against type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic Benefits: HIIT training can improve insulin sensitivity and hence better regulation of glucose in the body during exercise.
Enhanced Mental Health
HIIT benefits mental health as an effective strategy for minimizing stress, anxiety, and different signs of depression. The extremity of the workouts can also have the effect of elevating the mood and enhancing the subjects’ well-being.
Endorphin Release: Because HIIT involves intense efforts it acts as a stimulus to the production of endorphin, the body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemicals.
Best Practices for HIIT
To get the outlined benefits of HIIT and reduce the chances of experiencing a HIIT-related injury, the following guidelines should be followed when using HIIT.
Begin with Small Sets and Increase Incrementally
Newcomers to HIIT or those who have been out of exercise routines for a long time should begin by using shorter and less vigorous intervals, and they can increase the duration and intensity upon getting accustomed to it.
Beginner Example: It involves 20 seconds of vigorous exercise with 40 seconds of rest and is to be repeated for 10-15 minutes.
Emphasis on Techniques
Form and technique when performing these exercises is very important so as not to be injured and at the same time get the desired results. Be conscious about the position and the way you move during episodes of high activity.
Tip: It is advisable to engage the help of a fitness expert to get the right techniques for some exercises.
Introduce Variety into Your Workout
Establish a wide range of exercises to perform to make your HIIT routines dynamic and effective at addressing your muscles. This may comprise of body weight exercises, strength training, and cardiovascular movements.
Exercise Examples: Using jogging as the main movement pattern, the movements include jumping jacks, burpees, high knees, push-ups, squats, and lunges.
Prioritize Recovery
A recovery state is critical in averting instances of overtraining and helping the body in the repairing and remodeling process. HIIT exercise should be followed by rest periods between the intervals, and at least one or two days between HIIT workouts.
Rest Days: It is recommended to include one or two days of rest in a week to give the muscles a break, and recovery time.
Listen to Your Body
Consider how your body responds to HIIT workouts and its overall effects on you. If the person feels pain, dizziness, or unbearable fatigue during exercise, then the person should stop the exercises and rest. One thing that must be understood is the difference between pain from exercise or any kind of physical activity and pain that may signal an injury.
Modification: Increase or decrease the frequency, duration, or nature of exercise according to your physical condition, or how your body reacts.
Stay Hydrated and Eat Well
I suppose that it is worth mentioning that one of the ways, that can contribute to one’s health, is the consumption of a sufficient amount of water and the right foods. An athlete should ensure they have taken balanced foods and enough water if they have to be in a position to perform. Furthermore, while doing the workouts, it is advised that you take a lot of water, also while preparing your meals, ensure they contain a lot of carbohydrates, protein, and fatty acids.
Nutrition Tip: For muscle-rebuilding purposes, it is recommended that one of the meals or snacks that contain proteins and carbohydrates should be consumed between 30 minutes to 2 hours after a particular exercise session.
Use HIIT as Part of a Balanced Fitness Routine
However, even with HIIT being one of the most effective of all types of exercise, and required to be included in someone’s fitness regime, it may have to be combined with some other exercise like strength training, flexibility exercise, moderate-intensity workout, etc.
Example: It is recommended to do HIIT workouts for two to three sessions during the week all while doing strength exercises, yoga, or steady state bursts on the other days.
Sample HIIT Workout Routine
Here is a sample 20-minute HIIT workout that you can perform. It is always advisable to warm up before an activity or game and then cool down after the activity or game.
Warm-Up (5 minutes):
Light jogging, or even marching in place
Arm circles and shoulder rolls.
Hopping/jumping forwards or magnified ankle circles
HIIT Workout (20 minutes):
Jumping Jacks: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
Push-Ups: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
High Knees: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
Squats: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
Burpees: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
Mountain Climbers: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
Plank: 30 seconds
Rest: 15 seconds
Do the cycle three times
Cool-Down (5 minutes):
Walking or some simple movements like touching the toes, or rotating the shoulders forward and backward.
Flexibility exercises (the hamstring stretch, the quadriceps stretch, the calf stretch, the shoulder stretch).
Conclusion
HIIT training means that the individual will repeatedly exercise at an intense level for a short period and then follow by a short recovery period in between. If implemented in the correct manner including starting slow, paying attention to form, and including a variety of exercise forms apart from HIIT, the pros are enormous while the cons are minimal. HIIT is an excellent treatment that can be modified according to the abilities of any person since it does not require a lot effort as other exercises that are vital in the improvement of the physical fitness of an individual, especially athletes.
