Looking for an intense workout you can do from just about anywhere? For years fitness pro’s and average Jane’s have hopped on the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) bandwagon. And it’s for a good reason, there are several health benefits of a HIIT workout training plan for women. Get an insight into various types of HIIT workout plans and how to add them to your regular exercise routine.
HIIT means high-intensity interval training. It’s a type of workout where you perform short intense exercise followed by a period of relaxation. Also, it is an efficient and fast way to get your heart rate up. It can get your heart rate to 80% of its greatest capacity within a short time. This workout involves short bursts of intense exercises with a short period of rest. The idea of HIIT is to make you feel sweaty within a short period. Usually, you perform this rigorous training in 20-minute or less. These quick workouts have more impact on anaerobic and aerobic systems than regular exercises.
A simple HIIT training you can do is 30 seconds of squats followed by a 20-sec of rest. You can repeat this for 5 minutes, and another 30secs of splits followed by 15 seconds of rest. Repeat this for 10 minutes.
You can also do a Tabata-style HIIT workout. This involves you doing 20 seconds of exercise and 10 seconds of rest repeated for four minutes. The good thing about HIIT training is, that you can do it with any exercise. Ranging from squats to kettlebells or splits, all that matters is that you do it with intensity.
You can perform good HIIT workouts in the comfort of your home. It also saves you the amount of time needed to do low-effort cardio workouts, for a long period.
You can perform HIIT almost anywhere without the use of any equipment. So if you can not make it to the gym, doing HIIT training at home is a great option.
Studies have shown that HIIT helps you burn more calories than regular exercise. They also help you burn the same amount of calories in a shorter exercise period. It also aids women in losing body weight. This is because HIIT results in more disturbance of your body’s homeostasis.
You may find yourself unable to stick to a workout routine out of boredom. One perk you should know about HIIT is that it is only a protocol and not a specific exercise. Any variety of exercise you can think of can make the best HIIT workouts. Try it with swimming, sprints, kettlebells, jump ropes, burpees, jogging, etc.
Research has shown that good HIIT workouts reduce your blood sugar levels. HIIT also reduces your blood pressure, and resting heart rate, and prevents obesity.
You might be a busy woman but here’s a quick fix on how to add HIIT to your workout routine. It can be done as an at home workout right after you wake up, before dinner, or at bedtime. As the meaning implies, HIIT workouts need you to work hard as possible for a short period. So try a 10 mins routine every morning or night, as the case may be. You can also make use of mobile apps, that help you stay more committed.
Stay up to date on the latest women’s health, fitness and lifestyle trends and tips.