So what is HIIT? High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), exercising for short bursts of time with rest intervals between maximal effort. HIIT training has become more and more common, with its health benefits widely researched. HIIT workouts are more time-practical exercise for those with busy schedules! Read on to find out more.
Firstly, what happens in HIIT workouts?
- Intervals of hard work, usually between 20 and 40 seconds are followed by periods of resr
- In a HIIT workout, your heart rate will be around 90% during the intense parts of the workout
- HIIT workouts vary in length, but can be anywhere from 15 minutes to around 30 minutes, depending on how many rounds you do
It is widely known that exercise leads to a healthier active lifestyle, but around 30% of adults do not get enough of it.
The benefits of HIIT exercise are far-reaching, and not just from a physical and health point of view! HIIT sessions can be time-efficient as you don’t need to do that hours run, or maybe it’s the simplicity of workouts that you can do at home or enjoying the outside! Therefore, HIIT can be very beneficial to the majority of the adult population and fit into your daily lives.
Health benefits of completing HIIT workouts
Exercising for just 20 minutes a day doing a HIIT session, such as bodyweight exercises for 40 seconds and resting for 20 seconds over a 20 minute period can have many benefits, which include:
- Increased cardiorespiratory capacity
- Fat loss
- Weight loss
- High calorie burn
- Improved metabolic rate
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
(Alonso-Fernandez, 2019)
If fat loss and an improved metabolic rate is what you are looking for……HIIT workouts are the answer!
One of the main benefits of HIIT is its effectiveness to burn calories and fat. Studies have compared HIIT training to other types of exercise such as weight training and running, and found the following:
- A HIIT session over 30 minutes will burn 20-30% more calories than other types of exercise
- Your metabolic rate will be improved
What is your metabolic rate?
Metabolism is the chemical process that happens in our body to keep our organs working, repair cells and digest food. Each day, our body has a minimum amount of energy it uses to achieve these tasks, known as our basal metabolic rate (BMR). So, completing HIIT workouts improves that BMR, seeing you burn more calories over a day! This is because:
- Your metabolic rate is greatly improved up to 24 hours after HIIT
- The repairing of muscles requires more energy than doing a simple run, thus using more calories
- HIIT enhances metabolic workings of each muscle cell, which in turn promotes fat burning and reduces fat production
Recent studies have also shown the benefits of HIIT and how it can reduce the risk of hypertension and lower blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) can increase the risk of strokes, heart failure, vascular disease and other illnesses. Recently, the WHO have identified hypertension as a leading cause to premature mortality, especially in developed countries. Findings from these studies include:
- Both moderate continuous workouts and HIIT sessions lowered blood pressure
- However, HIIT sessions were found to reduce blood pressure more greatly and thus have a greater health benefit
Conclusion
HIIT is a broad term as it encompasses many types of exercise, from sprinting, to body weight exercises and biking. Regardless of the type of exercise, the “exercise” part of the round should be maximal effort, with the rest part then being little to no effort. For instance, sprinting for 30 seconds and then walking for 60 seconds across a 15 to 20 minute would be a HIIT workout. Whilst this is very simplistic, you can find many HIIT sessions and HIIT plans online with detailed explanations of effective HIIT sessions. As detailed above, the health benefits of HIIT workouts are extenisve.
Studies discussed in the article
Title- HIIT is changing the way we work out, here’s the science why it works
Link- https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/hiit-is-changing-the-way-we-workout-heres-the-science-why-it-works/
Author- Jamie Millar
Title- Impact of HIIT protocol on body composition and VO2 max in adolescents
Link- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0765159719300668
Author- Alonso-Fernandez et al
Title- Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training Versus Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training in Hypertensive Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Link- ttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32125550/
Author- Leal, J. M., Galliano, L. M. and Del Vecchio, F. B.
Title- 7 Benefits of High-Intensity Interval training
Link- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit
Author: Jimmy Pena and Jim Stoppani
Title- How can I speed up my metabolism?
Link- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/metabolism-and-weight-loss/
Author- National Health Service
