High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become a popular way to exercise in recent years since Covid. This type of workout involves short bursts of intense exercise, followed by periods of rest or lower intensity activity. HIIT has been shown to be an effective way to burn fat, increase cardiovascular fitness, and improve overall health. With one of the main benefits being that you do not need a lot of space to do them, they can be done at home, in the gym, in the garden and even the front room!
Here are some tips for creating a HIIT workout:
- Choose your exercises: HIIT workouts can be done with any type of exercise, but some popular options include running, cycling, jumping jacks, and burpees. Choose exercises that work multiple muscle groups and get your heart rate up.
- Decide on your intervals: HIIT workouts typically involve short intervals of high-intensity exercise followed by periods of rest or lower intensity activity. A popular interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for a total of 4 minutes. This can take a bit of trial and error to find out what suits you, however it can also be a great tool on helping push yourself in these workouts.
- Warm up: Before starting your HIIT workout, make sure to warm up your muscles and get your heart rate up. This can be done with some light cardio or dynamic stretching.
- Start slow: If you're new to HIIT, start with shorter intervals and work your way up to longer ones. It's important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard.
- Mix it up: Don't do the same exercises every time you do a HIIT workout. Mix it up to keep things interesting and challenge your muscles in different ways.
- Cool down: After your HIIT workout, make sure to cool down and stretch your muscles. This will help prevent injury and reduce muscle soreness. As you would with any other workout, this is as important as the workout itself!
Here's an example HIIT workout you can try:
- Warm up for 5 minutes with some light cardio. This can be a brisk walk on a treadmill or around the house, maybe try 5 minutes of a stair master or running up and down the stairs.
- Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 4 minutes.
- Jumping jacks
- Mountain climbers
- Burpees
- High knees
- Squat jumps
- Rest for 1 minute.
Repeat the circuit for a total of 3-4 rounds.
Cool down and stretch for 5-10 minutes.
Remember, HIIT workouts are intense, so make sure to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard. As with any workout, it's important to maintain good form and technique to prevent injury.
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Hopefully this blog post has given you a good insight to HIIT workouts, if you have any questions please leave a comment or email us at info@alistnutrition.com.
Have a great day!
Team A-List