High Intensity Training: The Benefits

You may be asking yourself, what is high intensity interval training (HIIT)? Well in short, HIIT is a training technique which involves intense bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by varied periods of rest. HIIT is a great option for those who are pressed for time, but still want to stay in shape.

One of the biggest advantages of HIIT is that you can get maximal health benefits in minimal time. Additionally, HIIT gives you long lasting benefits post-workout. So now that we have an understanding of the basics, let’s dive into the details. What are the benefits of HIIT? What are some examples of HIIT workouts?

Put simply, HIIT is short bursts of intense exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery periods. Honestly, it’s probably one of the most efficient ways to exercise. Typically, a HIIT workout will range from 10 to 30 minutes in duration. Sounds doable right?

Even though these workouts are short, they can produce incredible benefits. For example, a HIIT workout using a stationary exercise bike could consist of 30 seconds of cycling as fast as possible against high resistance, followed by several minutes of slow, easy cycling with low resistance. Typically you would repeat this 4-6 times.

One of the biggest benefits of HIIT is that it provides benefits of longer exercises sessions in a short amount of time. However, that’s not all. HIIT also provides many other great health benefits.

Burning a significant amount of calories is one of the major benefits of HIIT. One study compared the calories burned during 30 minutes each of HIIT, weight training, running and biking.

Additionally, it has been found that HIIT can burn 25-30% more calories than other exercise forms. You can burn an insane amount of calories doing 30 minutes of HIIT. This is because HIIT allows you to burn about the same amount of calories, but spend less time exercising.

One of the main reasons HIIT is so effective at burning calories is because of it’s effects on the body post exercise. Several studies have shown that HIIT has an impressive effect on your metabolic rate. In fact, HIIT increases your metabolic rate for hours after you exercise.

HIIT has also been found to shift the body’s metabolism toward using fat for energy rather than carbs. Needless to say, HIIT has a drastic effect on your body’s ability to burn calories.

Not only can HIIT help you burn calories, it can also help you burn fat. One study found that both HIIT and traditional moderate-intensity exercise can reduce body fat and waist circumference.

Additionally, there was a 17% reduction in visceral fat, or the disease-promoting fat surrounding your internal organs. Several other studies also indicate that body fat can be reduced with HIIT, despite the relatively low time commitment. So both fat loss and calorie burning are possible with HIIT.

High-intensity interval training is a very efficient way to exercise, and may help you burn more calories than you would with other forms of exercise. Additionally, it’s great for those who are struggling to find time to workout as a typical HIIT workout is usually only 3o minutes.

If you are interested in learning how to live a healthier lifestyle, I encourage you to schedule a session with one of our personal trainers. We here at Unique Health and Fitness have many other programs as well. So Take advantage of everything we have to offer, from free weights, cardio and weight machines, to group fitness classes just to name a few.