3 REASONS HIIT WORKOUTS ARE SO EFFECTIVE

We’ve all been guilty of making every excuse in the book as to why we don’t get enough exercise. Topping the list is that we don’t have enough time. Unless you have a physically demanding job, making time to stay active is essential to your health, but not an easy task.

That’s where HIIT comes in. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and it’s an umbrella term describing any exercise where you perform intense workouts for short periods alternating with a recovery period.

So, what does this mean? Let’s explain.

WHAT IS HIGH-INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING?

HIIT workouts typically last between 10 and 30 minutes but despite the length, it can be twice as effective, burning 25-30% more calories than doing lengthy moderately intense exercise.

For example, 30-second sprints as fast as you can with a few minutes of walking in between can give you more health benefits than an hour maintaining a comfortable pace on the elliptical.

Let’s be honest – which would you choose if you’re strapped for time?

Now, let’s be clear that varying your exercise style can show huge benefits and there’s a place for lower intensity workouts, too. But if you claim there’s no time to work out, it’s time to try HIIT.

Kickboxing is our favorite form of HIIT because it’s a fun way to effectively burn calories that takes only 30 minutes. But you can perform HIIT-style sessions with any kind of exercise from biking to weightlifting to swimming.

HOW HIIT WORKS

HIIT works because of what happens in the recovery period. In some ways, fitness is just a measurement of how quickly you recover from intense exercise and the more you do it, the faster your body can return to its normal state.

Since during a HIIT workout your body is constantly going back and forth from intense activity to a recovery state, your body gets better and better at it.

Benefits of HIIT Training We already mentioned how time-saving HIIT workouts can be, but what are some of the other benefits of high-intensity interval training?

HIIT increases your metabolism for hours after a workout. Not only does your body burn a bunch of calories during your HIIT session, but it also continues to burn excess energy for hours afterward, too. It’s using energy to repair your muscles proteins that were damaged during your exercise.

HIIT helps you lose fat. This benefit also has to do with recovery. Your body taps into its fat storage to help achieve a normal resting state so you’re burning more fat with every HIIT workout.

HIIT can improve oxygen intake. Intense exercise for short intervals requires more oxygen than steady low-intensity exercises. This increased demand improves your overall oxygen consumption.

As you can see, alternating from intense training mode to active recovery mode has massive benefits. With the ability to do HIIT workouts in a variety of ways, save your precious time and get to it!

Ready to try kickboxing and see what the HIIT hype is all about? Start now with a 7-day free trial!