The Wardrobe Stylist

When I was single, I loved going for runs. My feet hitting the pavement, wind in my hair, and time clearing my mind. Hours would disappear over a long weekend. It was glorious. Fast forward too many years, a mortgage, children, etc. and by the time I put on my sneakers, I’ve fallen asleep on the couch!

Turning To HIIT Workout Routine

Out of time and desperate to get rid of the jiggle, I turned to HIIT – High-Intensity Interval Training. For me, the appeal was a shorter exercise that would yield the same results as a long run. But, does it really work? I was determined to try.

As always, before embarking on any new exercise regimen, speak with your doctor. Whether you are looking to lose weight or tighten muscles, it’s a good idea to consult with a medical professional. Additionally, prepare yourself with a real boost of energy by taking natural supplements. Customer Review is dedicated to providing information about different supplements through extensive and thorough research, you can click here to find out which is the right one for you.
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What is HIIT?

High intensity exercise is a form of training which works the body and its muscles to near complete exhaustion, possibly as human ancestors may have experienced in the wild. What defines it specifically is that it cannot be maintained for long periods of time. Each HIIT workout routine can be anywhere from 4-30 minutes and should not be any longer than that.

It is scientifically defined as an exercise that causes a person to reach 90% of their maximum heart rate which depends on their age and gender. When someone has completed the workout they will be breathless and will typically only be able to say a few words with each breath.

How HIIT Works

When you are out of breath, your oxygen reserves are depleted and your body cannot produce energy in it’s usual manner of aerobic respiration. Instead, it makes energy via a different pathway called anaerobic respiration. One by product of this is lactic acid. As lactic acid builds up in your muscles, you feel a burning pain, which is why you cannot sustain this type of workout for an extended period of time.

Post-exercise, when your body is in recovery mode it needs to make up it’s oxygen debt. This process is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC and it means your body is still working long after your HIIT workout routine is over. It can actually take 24-48 hours for your body to recover so this is not a workout which should be done daily.

The Benefits Of HIIT

The task of pushing yourself to near exhaustion can be quite intimidating and definitely not as relaxing as a long, slow jog. However, because your body continues to work hard even after you’re done exercising, it is actually more efficient to do a HIIT workout than a longer one. Scientists have been studying this challenge for many years and several of them support high intensity exercise.

Science Approved

The main reason that scientists approve HIIT is that it causes beneficial changes to the muscles over a very short time. These changes include improved fat oxidation (breakdown of fat), improved ability of muscles to use oxygen and improved cardiovascular health. What was so striking about these findings is that they happened in only 2 weeks after the participants exercised only 3 hours per week.

So, set a timer on your phone and push yourself to the limit. You don’t need fancy equipment – even running up and down stairs will do.

Examples of High Intensity Exercises Include

• Running
• Cycling
• Jump rope
• Plyometric exercises (jumping exercises on boxes of various heights)
• Hill climbing
• Rowing

The key to reaching high intensity is performing the above exercises at the maximum intensity that you can possibly stand for 2 to 5 minutes and then doing a low to moderate version of the same exercise for another 2 to 5 minutes.

Another way is to do a short workout of each of the above for about 10 minutes and then doing another high intensity exercise. The benefits of a HIIT workout routine can be seen after doing these exercises at least 3 times a week.

The Gist Of It

Warm up, go hard, not long. A HIIT workout routine is the way to maximize your exercise time in order to give you the most bang for your buck. Try it and experience the awesome benefits to your body in just a few weeks.

What’s your favourite HIIT workout routine?

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, sign up to my newsletter to get the latest advice, tips, and giveaways right into your inbox!

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