There’s great excitement about interval training lately. You may have seen the articles, each one encouraging us all, regardless of age, to give it a try. Although it may seem like it’s the next fad, be encouraged that it’s no fad. It’s clear, the research from our leading universities and institutes of health is solid: Adding HIIT—intense bouts of exercise followed by an equal amount of time in a lower-intensity exercise—to our weekly exercise routine is an excellent way to increase cardiorespiratory health and fitness, and improve metabolic functions, all without having to spend lots of extra time exercising. There, HIIT is also time-efficient.
Let’s discover what HIIT is…
Think of high-intensity intervals as bursts of power, each lasting in time from 30 seconds or longer, followed by slower, easier movements of an equal amount of time. The high-intensity moves are for raising the heart rate and the lower-intensity moves are strictly for recovery.
Ideally, in one workout, 12 or more high-intensity intervals are performed, totaling a minimum of 20 minutes of movement. The routine is then repeated another time during the week. However, it’s good to know, depending on your health and fitness goals, once a week is also beneficial.
Luckily, the types and styles of movement in each interval are nearly endless, so there’s little chance of boredom. For simplicity, doing body-weight intervals doesn’t require any special equipment.
Skipping or bounding around the living room or along an outdoor track, for example, requires just you. Or there’s sitting and standing from a chair, or squat-jumping, or stepping forward into a lunge then powering back. All are examples of moves that, when done with good form, are excellent at creating intensity.
Patty, who’s been practicing HIIT in a group with me for several months, says, “HIIT is that perfect workout—one that makes you sweat with little to no props needed…just your drive.”
If working-out on a treadmill or a bicycle is your preference, intervals may be done using these types of equipment. Simply work harder for a set amount of time, then recover for the same amount of time; repeat.
Maybe working out with others is more your taste, then seek out a trusted group fitness educator to guide and encourage you. So, each week on Monday afternoons, clients join me from New Mexico and Georgia to take part in a local, live-streaming HIIT session. Everyone jokes about how hard the moves are, how breathless they become, and afterward, how the last jump squat was indeed the hardest one.
They’re all supportive of one other, and encourage each other to keep going, often saying, “Only ten seconds more, you can do this.” Erin says of her experience in class, “HIIT with Lisa is pushing yourself much farther than you would’ve had you been by yourself, and much more fun.”
Many feel a group is helpful when the motivation to work with such intensity is difficult. “HIIT is intense in the moment,” Karen, an avid exerciser says of her time in the group, “but I feel really great afterwards…and the physical and mental benefits are invaluable.” Jen, another member says, “…I always feel a sense of accomplishment after each class and I sleep like a queen at night.”
If you’re still undecided about giving HIIT a go, consider that high-intensity interval training also offers health benefits. Researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine have found that HIIT improves insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and body composition. And a developing area of research is exploring how interval exercise impacts brain health and function.
Keep in mind, for cardiometabolic benefits to occur, the heart rate should be elevated to 80% or near maximum effort during the high-intensity intervals.* While performing the intervals, you should become breathless, and certainly unable to carry on a conversation!
Before you begin, find your heart rate’s maximum.
For females, use the Gulati formula:
206 – (.88 x age) = max heart rate
For males, use the age-based formula:
220 – age = max heart rate
Another, possibly easier way to determine your exertion level is to use the 0-10 scale, or the perceived exertion scale. While exercising, the higher-intensity intervals should be rated in the 8 – 9 range.
Adding HIIT to your fitness routine can be a fun and different way to incorporate movement into your training. If you need more guidance, consider making an appointment with a skilled exercise professional to ask for help.
*It’s always advisable to let your physician know what you’re doing to improve your general health. Nowadays, there’s a refreshing move to use exercise as medicine. Talk to your doctor and get her or his thoughts.
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