You hear everyone talking about HIIT. But what exactly is it? HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. You may be thinking that sounds awful and intimidating. HIIT is simply periods of maximum effort exercise followed by periods of recovery through rest or lower intensity exercise. These periods are repeated for a set amount of time or until exhaustion. For example, you will do 20 seconds of maximum effort followed by 10 seconds of rest for 30 minutes. This is otherwise known as Tabata, a specific type of HIIT, and there are so many other versions of HIIT to fit everyone’s preferences.

Athletes have been doing HIIT for decades. If you played sports, think back to the challenging practices where your coach would have you and your teammates line up on the field, basketball court, or track, depending on your sport. You would go through a series of jog, sprint, then walk, jog, sprint then walk… over and over again. It felt endless. Every time you went from sprinting to walking, your heart pumped like crazy as you gasped for air to fill your lungs! You were so happy to be walking to help settle your heart and breathing rate. That is what HIIT is. It is exercising to the point that your muscles burn, heart beats super-fast, and your lungs are screaming for air, which is then followed by exercising at a very light, restful pace. The way I describe it may not sound like fun, but doing difficult work followed by rest makes a workout fly by. You will not realize that you have been exercising for 30 minutes when you are done. And best yet, your endorphins (those feel-good hormones) will be through the roof!

You can perform 20 minutes of HIIT and you will receive the same benefits as 40 minute of steady state cardio. Steady state cardio means doing some form of aerobic exercise at the same pace for 40 minutes. Examples of aerobic exercise include jogging, bicycling, and swimming. By doing HIIT workouts, you can reap the benefits of cardio in half the time. Along with this, HIIT also improves bone density and increases muscle mass while decreasing body fat. For maximum benefits, HIIT should be done 2 to 4 times a week.

HIIT is the perfect activity to condense the benefits of exercise in 30 minutes or less; however, performing exercise at a high intensity every day is not recommended. It could cause injury, mental burn out, and delay recovery. The body needs time to rest so that the muscles can heal from all that hard work. It is best to do HIIT workouts no longer than a period of 30 minutes and on non-consecutive days. Along with this, there are modifications for exercises that might be too advanced for you in a group fitness class or a virtual fitness session. For example, push-ups. Most women and some men hate them! To modify you can put your knees on the ground. To modify further, you can use a wall and do standing push-ups. Listening to your body is key for any type of work out, especially intense exercise. So don’t act like a warrior and do too much, especially in the beginner stages of doing HIIT. Remember, too much of anything is a bad thing. It is all about balance.

HIIT is a form of training that allows a person to do more work in less time.The benefits of HIIT are limitless. It is the most time-efficient form of exercise for weight loss and improving heart health. It burns a lot of calories and helps you reach your fitness goals faster. Now go out and sign up for a HIIT class! You have to try it for yourself!