When it comes to getting enough exercise, everyone looks for what’s right for them. Some people love the quiet solitude of jogging alone, while others prefer the competitive element of team sports like basketball, volleyball, or pickleball. Swimming is a great option for those looking for low-impact exercise, but many people prefer the pace and gentleness of participating in yoga.
Regardless of what type of aerobic or anaerobic exercise you’re interested in, “the best exercise is the one you’re happy to do,” says Dr. McConlogue, a licensed psychologist and director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic. Austin “Ozzy” Gontin says.
One form of exercise that more and more people are engaging in is called high-intensity interval training (HIIT). “It’s become so popular because of its efficiency, calorie-burning effects, and cardiovascular benefits,” says Lauren Moen, a certified at-home personal trainer based in Seattle, Washington.
Keep in mind that while HIIT is effective, it’s not for everyone.
What is HIIT?
Contrary to what many people believe, HIIT is not a specific type of exercise like running or jumping rope. Instead, HIIT involves: Any Physical activity that can be done safely and vigorously. Think running, swimming, cycling, jumping jacks, squats, knee kicks, mountain climbers, burpees, and more. While these activities are often slow and moderate, HIIT movements are bigger, faster, and bolder. The intensity of HIIT activities can also be increased by holding dumbbells in each hand or using a resistance band.
No matter which activity you choose and how intense you choose to do it, the trick to HIIT is to perform the movements in short bursts, “followed by a recovery period.” Martin Gibara, a kinesiologist at McMaster University, explains. A famous HIIT researcher from Canada.
A common strategy is one minute of sprinting (or another physical activity) followed by one minute of rest or slow movement. Some people set the on/off interval to 4 minutes, while others don’t time it at all and instead use landmarks as a guide. For example, you might sprint to a tree you see in the distance, walk to the next tree, and then sprint to another marker not too far away.
Although this training style only became popular in the 2010s under the name HIIT, the method has long been practiced by high-level endurance athletes, such as middle- and long-distance runners, as a means of optimizing performance. “It’s been a long time coming,” Jibara said. And while not everyone is interested in HIIT, “many people who are interested in health and fitness in general are interested in HIIT, which requires less time compared to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training. “I’m intrigued by the potential of HIIT to unlock results,” he says.
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Is HIIT really effective?
In fact, HIIT is unique in that it requires minimal time and is an incredibly effective workout. This was demonstrated in Gibala’s article. 2006 surveywhere he divided 16 healthy college students into two groups and had one group participate in moderate exercise. stationary cycling The other group continued cycling as hard as they could for 30 seconds, followed by 4 minutes of recovery.
At the end of the two weeks, the first group completed nearly 12 hours of moderate exercise, while the second group completed only 12 minutes of vigorous exercise. Despite spending significantly less time overall exercising, the second group improved in all of the same fitness markers as the first group, but showed even more improvement when it came to muscle growth.
Multiple studies have since demonstrated similar benefits. meta-analysis Studies have shown that HIIT can also improve blood sugar regulation, reduce inflammation, and improve muscle structure. In the exercise, we also It was shown that It’s beneficial for brain health and “also improves your endurance,” Moen says.
Lee Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, added that HIIT can also help reduce the risk of heart disease and can improve body composition. Because training helps burn a lot of calories Reduces fat accumulation around the abdomen in a short time.
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Is HIIT safe?
It depends. Moen says people who are not physically fit have difficulty doing strenuous exercise and are at risk of injury when doing so. “I wouldn’t recommend this as a ‘starting point’ to exercise for someone who doesn’t regularly exercise,” Lee agrees.
The same goes for people with pre-existing conditions. “Because it requires very high-intensity exercise, this type of training is not recommended for people with heart conditions without a doctor’s approval,” she warns.
Jibala added that the strenuous nature of the training could be “off-putting” to some people. But the “high intensity” aspect of HIIT doesn’t have to mean “going all out” or “going all out,” he says. Rather, “vigorous intensity is a relative term and should be tailored to an individual’s abilities,” he explains. “HIIT means intermittent brisk walking for some people, and sprinting uphill for others who are already used to high-intensity exercise.”
