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HIIT is one of the most popular workouts in America. But does it work?

HIIT is one of the most popular workouts in America. But does it work?

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When it comes to getting enough exercise, everyone looks for something that appeals to them. Some people love the quiet solitude of jogging alone, while others prefer the competitive element of team sports like basketball, volleyball or pickleball. Swimming is a great option for people looking for gentle exercise, while many prefer the pace and tranquility of a yoga practice.

No matter what aerobic or anaerobic activity you’re drawn to, “The best exercise is the one you’re willing to do,” says Austin “Ozzie” Gontang, a licensed psychotherapist and director of the San Diego Marathon Clinic.

A form of training that more and more people are practicing is so-called high-intensity interval training, or HIIT for short. “It has become so popular because of its efficiency, calorie-burning effectiveness, and cardiovascular benefits,” says Lauren Moen, a certified at-home personal trainer based in Seattle, Washington.

Although HIIT is effective, keep in mind that it is not for everyone.

What is HIIT?

Contrary to what many people believe, HIIT is not a specific type of exercise like running or jumping rope is. Instead, HIIT includes any physical activity that can be performed safely and vigorously. Think running, swimming, cycling, jumping jacks, squats, squats, mountain climbers or burpees. While such activities are often done at a leisurely or moderate pace, HIIT movements are bigger, faster, and bolder. The intensity of HIIT activities can also be increased by holding a dumbbell in each hand or using resistance bands.

No matter what activity you’ve chosen or how you’ve intensified it, the trick to HIIT is to do the movement in short bursts and “then put a recovery period in between,” explains Martin Gibala, a kinesiologist at McMaster University in Canada and a well-known HIIT researcher.

A common formula is one minute of sprinting (or other physical activity) followed by one minute of rest or slow exercise. Some people do four-minute on/off intervals, others don’t measure themselves at all, but instead use landmarks to guide them. For example, you could sprint to a tree visible in the distance, then run to the next group of trees, and then sprint again to another marker not too far away.

While this training style has only become popular since the 2010s under the name HIIT, the method “has long been practiced by high-performance endurance athletes such as middle- and long-distance runners to optimize their performance,” says Gibala. And while he says not everyone is tempted to pursue HIIT, “many people interested in health and fitness in general are intrigued by HIIT’s potential to provide benefits in less time compared to traditional moderate-intensity continuous exercise.” .”

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Is HIIT actually effective?

In fact, HIIT is unique in that it is a surprisingly effective workout that requires minimal time investment. This was demonstrated in Gibala’s 2006 study, in which he divided 16 healthy college students into two groups and had one group participate in moderate stationary cycling for 90 to 120 minutes each, while the other group completed 30-second exercise sessions. Cycling followed by four minutes of recovery.

At the end of the two weeks, the first group had completed almost 12 hours of moderate exercise, while the second group had only completed 12 minutes of intense exercise. Although the second group spent significantly less time exercising overall, they improved on the same physical fitness metrics as the first group, but showed even greater improvements in muscle growth.

Several studies have since shown similar benefits, with one meta-analysis showing that HIIT can also improve blood sugar regulation, reduce inflammation, and improve muscle structure. Exercise has also been shown to have positive effects on brain health, “and it can also improve endurance,” says Moen.

I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, adds that HIIT can also help reduce the risk of heart disease and improve body composition. Because exercising can help you burn a lot of calories in a short period of time while reducing fat accumulation in the abdominal area.

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Is HIIT safe?

It depends. According to Moen, people who are not physically fit may find it difficult to engage in vigorous physical activity – and may risk injury in the process. “I would not recommend this as a ‘starting point’ for exercise in people who are not regularly active,” Lee reiterates.

The same applies to people with previous illnesses. “Due to the very high intensity of the exercise, I would not recommend this type of training to people with heart disease without a doctor’s approval,” she warns.

Gibala adds that the intense nature of the workout can also be found “uncomfortable” by some people. But he says the “high intensity” aspect of HIIT doesn’t have to mean “go all out” or “as hard as you can.” Instead, “vigorous intensity is a relative term that should be scaled to individual performance,” he explains. “HIIT may involve intermittent brisk walking for one person and may involve sprinting uphill for another person who is already used to hard exercise.”