H.I.I.T. & why you should start now!

Always disappointed with yourself that you haven't worked out as you promised yourself to? I remember people telling me that I'll gain weight as I enter the workforce. Young me will just shrug off what people tell me. I was in my final year of college, still active working out 5 days a week without the care for the world and thinking I'll still have time to work out when I start working. But 2 years in working and I've definitely gained weight and work has been draining my soul with not enough energy left to work out.

So this is where I introduce you with the super-efficient HIIT, the ideal workout for a busy schedule. Whether you would like to squeeze in a short work out during your lunch break or to get in shape quickly for an event creeping up fast. A mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) can provide more effective results than jogging on the treadmill for an hour based on a study conducted.

As a busy working class person, how can you miss out on High-Intensity Interval Training? As its name suggests, the workout involves a number of intervals, depending on your stamina – usually of high intensity – ensuring you get a maximum benefit from your workout. HIIT boosts your metabolism while burns tons of calories in a short period of time.

A HIIT workout, for example, can go about using a stationary exercise bike could consist of 45 seconds of cycling as fast as possible while having to put up against a high resistance, followed by other several minutes of slow, easy cycling with low resistance.

This would be considered one "round" or "repetition" of HIIT, and you will have to complete 4 to 6 repetitions in one workout, usually. The specific amount of time you exercise and recover will vary based on the activity you choose and how intensely you are exercising.

Regardless of what type of exercises you're taking or chosen to go, high-intensity intervals that must involve short periods of vigorous exercise that make you sweat buckets and raise heart rate. Not only does HIIT may also provide some unique health benefits not only provide the benefits of longer-duration exercise in a much shorter amount of time.



Helps build endurance
High-intensity training adapts to the cellular structure of muscles which enables you to increase your endurance while doing any type of exercise. A study was conducted where people participated in HIIT for weeks and the results showed that the length of time they could keep the same pace while riding a bicycle had doubled in value.

Helps burns calories and fat in a shorter period of time
HIIT is suitable for those who have a limited amount of time to work out. Studies show that 15 minutes of high-intensity interval training burns an equal amount or more calories than jogging on a treadmill for an hour. So you are the judge of that.

Effective energy use
HIIT uses a system of work-hard-then-recovery intervals, alternating between high-intensity workouts with short resting periods. Through interval training, your body learns how to efficiently use the energy that comes from your body’s energy system. HIIT also helps remove toxic wastes from your muscles during the resting periods. Alternating between high-intensity training and low-intensity training also helps you breathe effectively.

Boosts metabolism
High-Intensity Interval Training allows you to consume more oxygen than a non-interval workout routine. The excess amount of oxygen consumed then allows your rate of metabolism to be increased from about 90 minutes to 144 minutes after a session of interval training. Thus the increased metabolism helps burn more calories at a faster rate.



Burn calories and fat hours after you leave the gym
When participating in such high-intensity workouts your body’s repair cycle goes into hyperdrive. When your body's repair cycle is in hyperdrive, it means in 24 hours after a HIIT workout your body is still burning calories and fat whereas, in steady-pace workouts, you may not.

No equipment needed/necessary
HIIT workouts are also extremely cost-effective helps out your wallet because you need not fork out on equipment! All you need is a little open space and definitely a lot of willpower as you can take your work out wherever you go. HIIT workouts utilise your own body weight, so any workout that gets your heart rate up quickly such as jumping stars high knees, and jumping jacks can be implemented into a HIIT workout. In fact, carrying weights can actually make sometimes make the workout less effective because your main focus in HIIT is getting your heart rate up rather than toning a particular muscle group.

Lose fat and not muscle
Steady cardio is often associated with losing muscles. HIIT workouts, on the other hand, combine weight training (the weight being your body) and effectively allows dieters to preserve their muscle gain while still shedding weight.

Choose your own workout
The great thing about High-Intensity Interval Training is that you don’t have to limit yourself to just running or biking. In fact, you can pick any cardio workout and make it an interval workout. You can bike one day at max speed for 30 seconds and take 45-second intervals in between and the next day you can switch it up to jogging or aerobics.

Good for heart health
They say that extreme training helps build extreme results. It’s hard for most people to push themselves to an anaerobic zone where you lose your breath and feel your heart pounding faster and faster. With interval training, it’s easier to push yourself to that level because of the rest interval that comes right after you reach that point. This helps keep a healthy heart and helps blood flow effectively throughout your whole body.

Challenge yourself
HIIT workouts offer seasoned workouts a new challenge and beginners a quicker way to see results. Thus, you will always be constantly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, therefore, workouts will never be boring!