Still tackling that New Years resolution to get more fit but struggling to squeeze time in at at the gym? High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a quick, yet effective way to fit in exercise when you’re pressed for time and doesn’t require gym membership or any equipment, only your own body is used as weights. One exercise is performed at a high-intensity for as many reps as possible within a given time frame, usually 30 to 60 seconds, followed by a short rest period and then a lower or moderate intensity exercise.
Examples of HIIT Exercises
- Walking Warm Up: 5 Minutes
- Jumping Jacks: 30 Seconds fast
- Squats: 1 Minute Slow
- Mountain Climbers: 30 Seconds Fast
- Push-Ups: 1 Minute Slow
- High Knees: 30 Seconds Fast
- Plank: Hold for 1 Minute
- Walking Cool Down: 2 Minutes & 30 seconds
You might do the above circuit of exercises with 60 seconds of rest in between each and then after all exercises, rest for 2 minutes and then repeat the circuit again, doing it up to three times total. For a more advanced workout, you can adjust the rest periods to be shorter (Instead of 60 seconds, only 30 seconds after each exercise for example)
You can switch up the order of these exercises or even substitute additional ones, such as crunches, lunges, and burpees, so you don’t have to do the same exact High Intensity Interval Training workout every day. The other benefit is that it requires no equipment and very little space so you can do these at home or in the office, and it typically takes 25 to 30 minutes.
Physical Gains from HIIT
- Burn lots of calories in short amount of time
- Helps you lose fat
- Builds muscle
- Reduced blood sugar
- Reduced blood pressure and heart rate
- Improved oxygen consumption
