HIIT Workouts for Beginners

Last Updated on December 27, 2023 by admin

HIIT Workouts have been at the center of many fitness debates these days. With so much sickness and disease surrounding us because of our poor choice of food and lack of physical activity, we must find a solution to this dilemma. Our lives have become so demanding that finding time for a walk or run is impossible. A consistent, well-planned fitness routine is the only way to stay fit and active. HIIT exercises are here for the rescue.

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1 HITT Workout

2 Here are some of the enjoyable HIIT workouts to try

HITT Workout

What is the first thing you think of when you hear HIIT? HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training; it is short periods of intensive workouts alternating with low-intensity recovery periods. The most popular HIIT workouts are burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, and squats. All the regimes take these basic workouts and build on them further to get the best results. HIIT is the most efficient workout if you are less on time. A study published in PubMed Central compared the calories burned during 30 minutes of HIIT, weight training, running, and biking. Researchers discovered that HIIT burns 25-30% more calories than other types of exercise. A HIIT repetition in this study consisted of 20 seconds of maximal effort followed by 40 seconds of rest. This means that the participants only exercised one-third of the time that the running and biking groups did. These intense workouts make you wonder, “What’s in it for me?”

On the other hand, the work-to-rest duration ratios help you work on endurance and power. The longer periods of work help with endurance, whereas lesser work time helps with power. HIIT is also an effective fat burner because you don’t just burn calories during the workout but also after. There’s something called the EPOC effect. Basically, after vigorous exercise, when your body is trying to get back into its normal state, it still burns calories; it works the most with high-intensity workouts. Now, who wouldn’t want that? HIIT also increases your VO 2 max, the amount of oxygen your body utilizes; it is a cardio fitness indicator. HIIT is also proven to be very helpful in keeping blood pressure in check, especially for people who are overweight or obese.

There has been enough research to conclude that HIIT programs that are less than 12 weeks can hugely impact blood sugar. According to research, HIIT may also improve insulin resistance more than traditional exercise regimens. As previously stated, HIIT helps us build endurance. Whether you are an athlete or a weekend runner, it will help you do routine everyday activities better. Finally, HIIT routines are so varied and simple that you can choose what works best. You can begin by performing bodyweight exercises if you are not a runner. Similarly, if you have joint pain and cannot do vigorous exercise, you can choose a less-impact exercise like swimming. After you have chosen a modality, you can go ahead and ratio in the high-intensity and active rest parts. You must listen to your body and see how much you are willing to push yourself.

Here are some of the enjoyable HIIT workouts to try

Spinning

Pedal as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds on a stationary bike. Then pedal for 2-4 minutes at a slow, easy pace. This pattern should be repeated for 15-30 minutes.

Sprint

After jogging to warm up, sprint for 15 seconds as fast as possible. Then, for 1-2 minutes, walk or jog at a slow pace. This pattern should be repeated for 10-20 minutes.

Squat Jumps

Squat jumps should be performed as quickly as possible for 30-90 seconds. Then, for 30-90 seconds, stand or walk. This pattern should be repeated for 10-20 minutes.

A good reminder, though, is that although HIIT is very beneficial, excess of everything is bad; make sure to have recovery days between your HIIT training to get the most out of it.