Boost Your Fitness Routine with High Intensity Interval Training

You’ve been HIIT by, you’ve been struck by, high intensity intervals: Why you MUST try a HIIT workout now.

So what is HIIT you may ask? It stands for High Intensity Interval Training. To simplify the definition, you perform a vigorous movement for a short period of time, followed by a short recovery.

A great example would be, 40 seconds of jumping jacks, 20 seconds of active recovery. 45 seconds of bicep curls and curtsy lunges, 25 seconds of recovery. You get the gist. HITT can be done anywhere and everywhere. With weights or just your beautiful self and a bottle of water. It serves as a great alternative for Bootcamp and Spin fanatics alike, due to its level of intensity and calorie burning effects in a short amount of time. Studies have shown that the human body continues to burn calories for up to 24 hours post a HITT session, burning fat and speeding up metabolism between 25 to 30% more than other forms of exercise. So let’s dive into more detail as to why HITT remains so popular and why you must try HITT like right now!

You know when the torture is over

Have you ever participated in a fitness class where you are being asked to perform an exercise with no end in sight? As a fitness teacher I may or may not be guilty of this despicable act myself, my apologies. From my personal experience, participants are more motivated to workout if they know the length or duration of a particular movement. Think of it as being able to see the finish line or the top of a mountain. It gives you that extra boost in your engine to complete the task with a bang. HITT is perfect for this because you are being counted down constantly, knowing exactly how much time you have left until recovery. 

Variety is the spice of life with HITT

One thing I can promise you, is you will NOT be bored during a HIIT class. There are so many different methods used and ways to lead a HITT class. There is room to play with time, style of movement, equipment used or not used. Cardio training, strength conditioning, partner work, individual play, circuit based workouts. I highly recommend attending as many HITT classes as possible and trying different HITT teachers since every leader has something unique to offer.

Incorporate a bit of HITT into any workout

HITT is more of a concept than a fitness class, meaning there are no rules as far as what kind of high intensity activity one should do. Try incorporating it into a Barre workout, Yoga class, Pilates session, Boxing or Bootcamp challenges to give it that extra oomph. Yes there are classic HITT exercises such as: jumping jacks, jump squats, burpees, quick feet and mountain climbers. But I believe that rules were meant to be broken and as long as you are working hard in short bursts followed by a short recovery you are doing HITT and using HITT benefits. 

Conclusion

So there you have it folks! HITT burns calories super fast, gives you more bang for your buck, improves cardiovascular health while increasing muscle strength. So what’s not to love???? And why are you still reading this? Go try HITT now! If you have tried HITT before tell me your favourite HITT workouts and how HITT has improved your overall health and mental wellness. 

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