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No time? Up the Intensity!

So many people who are
struggling with their fitness and health have the misconception that it
requires hours of exercise each day to produce the results they desire.
With schedules that certainly don’t allow any of us to have marathon
style workouts each day, it’s understandable that people feel
discouraged from beginning, or at times continuing, on their fitness
journey. But, the fact is that longer isn’t always better. Enter High
Intensity Interval Training.
High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short, typically includes
short bursts of intense exercise followed by a brief period of recovery.
This can range from 20 seconds to a minute of high activity followed by
as little as 10 seconds to a few minutes of recovery. But what does
this do for you? First it drastically reduces the amount of time needed
to complete a full workout. For example, one may be able to enjoy the
same positive results of 60 minutes of traditional cardio in as little
as 20 minutes of HIIT cardio. Additionally, some studies have found that
using HIIT can lead to a decrease in total abdominal and visceral fat,
with an actual increase in muscle mass and power. Additionally, cardio
workouts done in HIIT format can lead to higher boosts in post workout
metabolism levels for up to 24 hours. This is a result of increased
levels of Human Growth Hormone, or HGH. Higher HGH levels will allow
your body to metabolize more fat for energy in the hours after a cardio
session.While these types of workouts are rather challenging, if done correctly,
they can truly be beneficial to both new and experienced exercisers
alike. Who wouldn’t want to save time, burn more fat, and preserve or
even increase muscle, in one streamlined workout? Now it is important to
note that traditional low intensity cardio is still very beneficial in
its own right. HIIT should be viewed as a supplement to an exercise
program, not a be-all-end-all. Another thing to mention is that the HIIT
style of training can certainly be applied to strength training as
well. Quickly moving through different exercises with short, controlled,
rest periods will allow you to complete an entire workout faster,
increase your heart rate, and burn a ton of calories.

The fact is that more intensity, when done without the sacrifice of
safety, can yield more results than the marathon style workouts of old.
So next time your in the gym, HIIT it hard, make it count, and burn the
fat!