FIRST AND FOREMOST, If you have any cardiovascular problems or other health concerns that limit your ability to exercise at very intense levels, or if you are relatively new to aerobic exercise or not already in good shape, (High Intensity Interval Training) HIIT is not for you—at least for now. If you have any doubts or concerns about whether it might be safe for you, check in with your medical professional before trying HIIT.
According to Wikipedia, a HIIT session consists of a warm up period of exercise, followed by six to ten repetitions of high intensity exercise, separated by medium intensity exercise, and ending with a period of cool down exercise. The high intensity exercise should be done at near maximum intensity. The medium exercise should be about 50% intensity. The number of repetitions and length of each depends on the exercise. The goal is to do at least six cycles, and to have the entire HIIT session last at least fifteen minutes and not more than twenty.
This is just one way to do HIIT. I enjoy the Tabata method using an interval timer (Click here for an online interval timer), which as explained by Mark Lauren (author of You Are Your Own Gym), goes something like this: 8 rounds of 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Exercises are done as fast as possible, keeping good form of course.
HIIT is basically one of the best ways to burn fat. And, it’s fun! If you workout at least 4 times per week and eat a sensible diet, you will see amazing results AND will be able to maintain them for the rest of your life. HIIT revs up your metabolism and keeps it burning for hours after your workouts, depending on how hard you push yourself. It is not boring and it takes care of strength training and cardio all-in-one.
Are you psyched yet? I hope so! It’s time to get serious about your health, take the reigns, and have fun with it.
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