Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

By Nailah Aljasmi | 29th September 2019

If we are going to change our attitude to physical activity then it needs to become a natural and important part of our lives, not something else for us to find the time to do.

Unless we have a physically demanding job, a dedicated fitness routine is likely our best bet for getting active.

Some people may prefer to participate in more regular and structured forms of physical activity such as going out for a run or playing sport and these are, of course, great ways to enhance wellbeing and mental health. (1.)

Unfortunately, many people feel that they don't have enough time to exercise (2.)

If this sounds like you, maybe it's time to try high-intensity interval training(HIIT).

What Is High-Intensity Interval Training?

HIIT is a type of workout that pairs high-intensity exercise intervals with low- to moderate-intensity recovery phases.

Typically, a HIIT workout will range from 10 to 30 minutes in duration.

Growing research suggests that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient exercise strategy to improve cardiorespiratory and metabolic health. (3.)

For example, a HIIT workout using a stationary exercise bike could consist of 30 seconds of cycling as fast as possible against high resistance, followed by several minutes of slow, easy cycling with low resistance. these workouts alternate between periods of high-intensity and lower-intensity activity.

You can do intervals during any type of exercise — walking, running, cycling, swimming, or even while doing callisthenics, such as jumping jacks, push-ups, or squats. (4.)

This would be considered one "round" or "repetition" of HIIT, and you would typically complete 4 to 6 repetitions in one workout. (5.)

What Are the Benefits of HIIT Training?

The British Journal of Sports Medicine published a review of 36 studies that compared interval training with moderate-intensity exercise in different groups of people, including those who were overweight or previously inactive. While people lost weight and body fat from both types of exercise, those who did interval training lost nearly 29% more fat than those who did moderate exercise. (6.)

A longtime distance runner, Dr Wiviott started doing HIIT workouts at his local CrossFit gym about a year ago. "Even though I was exercising for shorter periods of time, I lost body fat and felt better," he says. His positive experience spurred him to explore the evidence supporting HIIT. (7.)

How does HIIT Training work?

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a type of workout where you give maximum effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods. HIIT workouts train and condition both your aerobic activity and anaerobic energy systems. This kind of exercise gets your heart rate up and improves your cardiovascular fitness level while burning more fat and calories in less time.

Benefits of HIIT include:

• Improved cardiovascular fitness
• Build lean muscle and lose fat
• Retain muscle
• Condition anaerobic and aerobic energy
• Easy to do anywhere, no equipment required
• Burn more calories while at rest
• Increase metabolism and endurance
• Quick workout – 30 minutes or less

What Has Research Has Proven with HIIT Training?

Studies have shown that HIIT can help you lose fat.

Lead to improvements in measures of cardiorespiratory fitness (6.)

In a 2017 study carried out on overweight or obese participants aged 18-45 years. Direct measures (e.g. whole-body fat mass) and indirect measures (e.g. waist circumference) were examined. Studies averaged 10 weeks × 3 sessions per week training. HIIT elicited significant reductions in whole-body fat mass and waist circumference.

The results concluded that short-term moderate-intensity to high-intensity exercise training can induce modest body composition improvements in overweight and obese individuals without accompanying body-weight changes. (7.)

The British Journal of Sports Medicine published a review of 36 studies that compared interval training with moderate-intensity exercise in different groups of people, including those who were overweight or previously inactive. While people lost weight and body fat from both types of exercise, those who did interval training lost nearly 29% more fat than those who did moderate exercise. (8.)

A longtime distance runner, Dr Wiviott started doing HIIT workouts at his local CrossFit gym about a year ago. Even though he was exercising for shorter periods of time, he lost body fat and felt better. (9.)

As a time-efficient training program, HIIT plays an important role in youth athletic development, providing more time for the enhancement of other important skills, such as coordinative skills, technique, tactics, speed, power, strength and many more. (10.)

How to Get Started With HIIT

If you are new to HIIT, watch your heart rate, stop when you need to, and don’t do the plyometrics (or jumping movements) just yet. Ideally, you should be able to exercise for 20 minutes without any issues before trying a HIIT workout. You don’t want to overdo it.

So, you're ready to try a group fitness HIIT class, check and see if your local gym offers HIIT workouts. If you want to get familiar with HIIT before joining a class, or if you want the ease of doing HIIT workouts at home, below there are some examples and videos to demonstrate a typical HIIT training session for fat-loss, endurance and how to gain lean muscle.

Make sure you check with your physician before trying any rigorous exercise program.

"Health is Wealth"

Mercy Doing Her HIIT Session at The HIIT Hub in Ras Al Khaimah

Try some of the following HIIT workouts:

1. Using a stationary bike, pedal as hard and fast as possible for 30 seconds. Then, pedal at a slow, easy pace for two to four minutes. Repeat this pattern for 15 to 30 minutes.
2. After jogging to warm up, sprint as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Then, walk or jog at a slow pace for one to two minutes. Repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes.
3. Perform squat jumps as quickly as possible for 30 to 90 seconds. Then, stand or walk for 30 to 90 seconds. Repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes.

There are many ways to implement HIIT into your exercise routine. Experiment to find which routine is best for you.

HIIT Workout for Fat-Loss

You can always follow a 7-day schedule:·        

• Monday - Full-body weight training
• Tuesday - HIIT workout: 30 sec. active rest (walk or jog), 30 sec. work/sprint, repeat 7 more times (8 rounds total)
• Wednesday - Full-body weight training
• Thursday - HIIT workout: 30 sec. active rest (walk or jog), 30 sec. work/sprint, repeat 7 more times (8 rounds total)
• Friday - Full-body weight training
• Saturday and Sunday - Rest

Over the course of eight weeks, add one round per week to your HIIT workouts, gradually working up from 8 total rounds to 15.

HIIT Workout for Muscle Gain

• Monday – Upper-body weight training
• Tuesday – Lower-body weight training
• Wednesday - HIIT workout: 30 sec. active rest (walk or jog), 30 sec. work/sprint, repeat 4 more times (5 rounds total)
• Thursday – Upper-body weight training
• Friday – Lower-body weight training
• Saturday and Sunday - Rest

Add one round every two weeks, increase the number of repeats in your HIIT workouts from 6 to 10 by Week 8.

HIIT Workout for Improving Aerobic and Anaerobic Endurance

• Monday - Full-body weight training
• Tuesday - HIIT workout: 30 sec. active rest (walk or jog), 30 sec. work/sprint, repeat 7 more times (8 rounds total)
• Wednesday - Full-body weight training
• Thursday - HIIT workout: 30 sec. active rest (walk or jog), 30 sec. work/sprint, repeat 7 more times (8 rounds total)
• Friday - Full-body weight training
• Saturday - HIIT workout: 30 sec. active rest (walk or jog), 30 sec. work/sprint, repeat 7 more times (8 rounds total)
• Sunday - Rest

HIIT: A Go-To Solution for Lack of Time

References:

1. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/lets-get-physical-report.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17267731
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24552392
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit#section1
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit#section1
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6133203/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28401638
8. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/harnessing-the-power-of-high-intensity-interval-training
9. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/harnessing-the-power-of-high-intensity-interval-training
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6072873/

Medical Disclaimer

This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Nailah nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.

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