In recent years there are trainings that have become very fashionable. Crossfit and boxing are two clear examples, but there is one that surpasses them and that is what we are going to talk to you about today: HIIT.
HIIT stands for “High Intensity Interval Training”, in Spanish high intensity interval training. And it is just that: short-time exercise intervals where you work at maximum intensity, interspersed with rest intervals.
Celebrities What Sofia richie or Kylie jenner They have already incorporated it into their routine to take care of themselves, and it is that HIIT training has many advantages, starting with numerous health benefits.
The health benefits of HIIT training
Is one of the most effective workouts if you want to lose weight And according to studies, it is a type of training that has shown significant reductions in the fat mass of the whole body and in the circumference of the waist, with less time of exercise.
It is one of the most effective ways to improve stamina and burn fat, because it improves the body’s ability to oxidize glucose byactivate the creation of mitochondria, and after practicing it for several weeks, the ability to oxidize fats in our body also increases.
It is in addition to a very intense cardiovascular workout that can be done in a very short time. In periods of high intensity we must reach 80-90% of our heart rate, something that does not happen for example when we do cardio on a bicycle, for example.
What’s more, helps improve athletic performance, promotes muscle gain and muscle power, improves appetite regulation and favors adherence to regular training since you hardly need time to do it.
How to include HIIT training in our life
We no longer have the excuse that we don’t have time to exercise, because 10 minutes a day is more than enough, whether we are also sedentary or not.
According to Vitónica experts, it is recommended that times of intense activity be shorter if we are starting to practice it and then we will gradually increase the time and even reduce the rest times.
It is important that the intensity is maximum in all the exercises performed and experts say that “it is very normal that we end up panting and practically out of breath” since we are working at maximum intensity and it is essential for it to work that it is. Little by little you will get used to the rhythm and there will come a time when you will have to add more intervals or reduce the rest time between them, to continue progressing and getting results.
A ratio of exercise and rest between 1: 2 and 1: 4 is usually recommended, taking into account that sometimes an active rest in which we do not stop the activity in dry is better. For example, if you are pedaling and braking dry, you will recover more slowly and it will cost you more to get back to work interval than if you take an active rest where you continue to move at a low intensity.
If this type of format is too much for us, we can use the Gibala method in which the intensity is reduced and which is therefore valid for all audiences.
Regarding the frequency of workouts, experts do not recommend that it be done daily since after doing them, a lot of fatigue occurs at the muscular nervous level. You can combine it with other workouts such as strength exercises, highly recommended for anyone, or simply take a break.
A HIIT routine for beginners
One of the advantages of HIIT is that it is not essential material to perform it, and you can make them even at home. In the video we have a 10 minute training in which they are used dumbbells and a mat, and in Vitónica they propose us this other one with kettlebells with which we will get in shape in record time.
q324.de Jump – the Extra Large Exercise Mat I 160 x 120 I brown I Extra Robust and Stable I with and without shoes I HIIT I Fitness I Jump Rope I Strength Training I Gymnastics
Albott Weights Neoprene Dumbbell Weights Home Gym, Dumbbell Set with Support – 2 x 1 kg, 2 x 2 kg, 2 x 3 kg, Gym and Training Dumbbells
But you have options without any materials, like this one proposed to us from Vitónica for which we do not need material and what can we do in 15 minutes combining variants of three exercises (jumping jacks, squats and burpees). Ideal to start the day with energy we also have this 15 minute express cardio workout.
If what we are looking for is to burn fat, we can do a full body routine, which They explain to us in Vitónica that it is composed of three phases, or bet on a simple routine that we can do at home with just one chair and in seven minutes. In this option we will do each exercise for 30 seconds, and we will rest 10 seconds between them. The exercises that we will do will be, in order:
- Jumping Jacks
- Isometric squat against the wall
- Flexion
- Abdominal crunch
- Step-up on chair
- Squat
- Chair Triceps Dips
- Abdominal plank
- Running on site
- Displants
- Flexion with rotation
- Side plank.
As you could see HIIT is a simple option that we can do at home and with which we will improve our health without investing too much time in exercising.
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Photos | Christopher campbell, Benjamin Klaver, Sushil Ghimire and Thomas yohei on Unsplash