Even as a fitness professional, I often find it hard to “fit” in a good workout on a day when I am not teaching a group exercise class or working one-on-one with a trainer myself. Not being able to find the time to work out is an excuse as opposed to a “reason.” The traffic was horrible. I have too many things to do. I will find time tomorrow. They are all excuses. I am guilty as charged. I need music, energy, camaraderie, and the adrenaline of motivating others.
I find it difficult to stay motivated to get into the gym just like most people. There, I said it. Now you know fitness gurus are regular people too. It is possible I speak for myself. Still, when working out, I have the intrinsic need to move, to sweat, and to breathe deeply. Do I look for short cuts or fitness hacks? Absolutely. But I refuse to just go through the motions no matter how I am feeling. I want my fitness hack to be effective. Just like any other workout, why put yourself through the grunting, pain, and pushing your body harder when all you feel like doing is hanging out on the couch, watching a Netflix marathon with a gallon of ice cream, and a bucket of bonbons?
There has to be a better way, and luckily there is. It's called High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). High-Intensity Interval Training, a method of cardiovascular training, revolutionizes the way we workout with efficient and time-saving exercises. HIIT workouts are designed to push your body out of its comfort zone for a few short seconds and allow your body to recover during a designated round of resting. The beauty of HIIT workouts is you can design them to meet you where you are.
HIIT workouts yield quicker results than the long, moderately paced 45–60-minute workouts and the feeling of accomplishment far outshines the completion of a long, hum-drum 60-minute walk or even jog on the treadmill. There is no rule of thumb for how long you push yourself. I try to make each round one-minute total in duration to keep some rhythm going.
Here are a few examples:
Jumping Jacks: 10 seconds
Step side-to-side to recover: 50 seconds
Burpees: 15 seconds
March in place to recover: 45 seconds
High Knees: 20 seconds
Walk to the wall and back to recover: 40 seconds
Power Squats: 30 seconds
Step side-to-side to recover: 30 seconds
The goal is to get your heart rate out of the Resting Heart Rate Zone (around 70 beats per minute) to about 120-160 These types of exercises are great because you have the freedom to be more creative and create “muscle confusion,” which incorporates muscles you normally overlook doing your regular cardio workouts. They also prevent overuse injuries such as shin splints, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis.
If you are working out for the first time or getting your fitness game back on track, start training 2-3 times per week. Begin by performing a moderate intensity workout on
“THE SKINNY ON HIIT (High- Intensity Interval Training) Workouts”
By: Amy E. Lawrence, MFA, ACSM