Are you trying to burn calories and lose weight? Ditch your regular workouts and try high-intensity interval training (HIIT) next time.
HIIT results can be even more impressive than the results of more moderate exercise, even delaying aging, so it’s definitely worth giving it a go!
If you’re looking for HIIT workouts for beginners, check out our favorite benefits of the training, so you can make the most of your session.
1. Burns Calories Fast
HIIT and strength training allows you to burn calories quickly. In a shorter amount of time, you can burn the same amount of calories as you would doing a more traditional form of exercise for longer, so if you don’t have much time to exercise, it’s a great option.
You could try the Tabata method, in which you do twenty seconds of exercise followed by ten seconds of rest, and repeat the cycle at least eight times for impressive results.
2. Lose Fat Efficiently
Yes, HIIT is great for helping you to lose fat. With just a few HIIT training sessions you can reduce fat across your body and in turn reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses and diseases.
Like with burning calories, HIIT lets you lose the same amount of fat in a smaller time-frame, so you don’t need to spend all day on a treadmill.
3. Gain and Maintain Muscle
Yes, it’s not the same as training with weights, but particularly if you’re more inactive, HIIT can help you gain muscle mass. Your legs and core are primarily exercised through the training, so expect to see the most prominent differences here.
Moreover, when you’re trying to lose weight you’ll often find muscle mass decreasing along with it, which can be disheartening if you’ve worked hard developing it. Fortunately, when losing weight through HIIT, it’s mostly fat that goes, not muscle.
4. Good for Your Heart
HIIT isn’t easy, but the benefits to your heart make everything worth it. The intense exercise invites anaerobic respiration, the long-term impacts of which include reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
This is particularly true for overweight and obese individuals, and may even be more effective than more moderate forms of exercise. The key elements of effective post-workout recovery, like sleep and nutrition, all benefit your body and minimize health risks too, so it’s great all-round.
5. No Equipment Needed
There are numerous exercises to try, but you don’t need all sorts of fancy equipment to do them. Even moves as simple as running and jumping are great, and you don’t need anything apart from yourself.
Sometimes, equipment like dumbbells can make the workout less effective as it diverts activity away from your heart, which is often the main focus of HIIT.
Getting HIIT Results
How long should a HIIT workout be? Not long at all, and you’ll soon start to see great improvements. Get started today, and you might see some fantastic HIIT results after just a short amount of time.
Follow our advice and you’ll be sure to make the most of your session. For more tips and advice on looking after yourself, check out some of our other posts.