Many people know exercise is good for health, but surprisingly, only about 20% of people worldwide get enough each day (1 Reliable Source). In the US, it’s closer to 80% who don’t (2 Trusted Source).
If you don’t have a physically demanding job, sticking to a workout plan is your best bet to stay active. Yet, many feel they don’t have time for it (3 Trusted Source). If that sounds like you, maybe it’s time to try high intensity interval training (HIIT).
HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest periods. It’s known for packing a lot of health benefits into a short time. This article explores seven top benefits of HIIT and explains how it works.
What is high intensity interval training?
HIIT mixes short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest or low-intensity activity. It’s known as a quick way to get your workout done.
Usually, an HIIT session lasts from ten to thirty minutes. Even though it’s short, it can offer health benefits similar to longer moderate-intensity exercises.
The exercises can vary a lot, like using your body weight, cycling, jumping rope, or running.
For example, a HIIT workout on a stationary bike might involve 30 seconds of pedaling as fast as possible, followed by a few minutes of easy cycling with low resistance.
Depending on what you do and how hard you push yourself, the exact timing of your exercise and rest periods can change.
No matter how you do it, the key is short bursts of intense exercise that get your heart pumping.
Besides saving time compared to longer workouts, HIIT may also have some unique health benefits.
HIIT benefits
1. HIIT can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time
With HIIT, you can burn calories quickly.
In one study, researchers compared how many calories people burned running, biking, weight training, and doing HIIT for 30 minutes each.
They found that HIIT burned 25–30% more calories compared to the other exercises.
In this study, HIIT involved 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 40 seconds of recovery.
That means the actual exercise time for HIIT was only about a third of what people doing running or biking did.
Even though the exercises lasted 30 minutes each in the study, HIIT sessions are often much shorter than traditional workouts.
This means you can work out for less time and still burn about the same number of calories, thanks to HIIT.
2. Your metabolic rate is higher for hours after HIIT exercise
After you’ve finished your workout, HIIT can continue to help you burn calories in several ways.
Many studies have found that HIIT raises your body temperature for hours after you exercise.
Some researchers even say HIIT can boost your metabolism more than weight training or running after a workout.
This kind of exercise might also switch your body’s metabolism so it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
3. HIIT can help you lose fat
Studies have found that HIIT can help with losing fat.
One study looked at 424 overweight or obese people and 13 different experiments.
It showed that both HIIT and regular moderate-intensity exercise can reduce waist size and body fat.
Even with short workout times, other studies have also found that HIIT can lower body fat.
However, HIIT might be especially good for losing fat in people who are overweight or obese, like other kinds of exercise.
Also Read: Top 5 Bodybuilding Apps for Muscle Growth 2024
4. You might gain muscle using HIIT
Sometimes, HIIT can also help build muscle along with burning fat.
The muscles you use the most, like your legs and core, tend to get stronger and bigger.
People who weren’t very active at first often see their muscles grow more.
Some studies suggest that HIIT workouts don’t always make muscles bigger in people who already exercise a lot.
Weight training is still the best way to build muscle. Doing quick, intense exercises might also help some muscles grow.
5. HIIT can improve oxygen consumption
How much oxygen your muscles can use is called oxygen consumption. Endurance training helps increase this.
Traditionally, this meant long runs or steady cycling.
But now, HIIT might give you the same benefits faster.
In one study, people who did 20-minute HIIT sessions four times a week increased their oxygen intake by 9%. This was almost as good as another group who cycled for 40 minutes nonstop, four times a week.
Another study found that HIIT or regular bike exercise for eight weeks boosted oxygen intake by nearly 25%. But here’s the catch: HIIT only required 60 minutes a week, while regular biking needed 120 minutes.
More research shows HIIT could also improve how your body uses oxygen.
6. HIIT can reduce heart rate and blood pressure
HIIT can give you some really good health benefits.
Studies show it can reduce blood pressure and heart rate in overweight or obese people, who often have high blood pressure.
For instance, in one study, people with high blood pressure did HIIT on a stationary bike for 8 weeks. Their blood pressure dropped just as much as those who did regular endurance training.
The HIIT group only worked out 3 times a week for 20 minutes each time. The endurance group worked out 4 times a week for 30 minutes each time.
Another study suggests HIIT might even lower blood pressure more than the usual moderate exercise.
However, people with normal blood pressure and a normal BMI usually don’t see a change in blood pressure from high-intensity exercise.
7. HIIT can reduce blood sugar
Even just a few months of HIIT workouts can help lower blood sugar.
Research comparing HIIT to regular exercise shows that HIIT can improve insulin resistance and reduce blood sugar levels, based on a review of 50 studies.
This suggests that HIIT might be really good for people who are at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Studies specifically on people with type 2 diabetes have shown that HIIT is great at lowering blood sugar levels.
And for healthy people, HIIT might work even better than regular exercise at improving how well insulin works.
8. HIIT improves aerobic and anaerobic performance
HIIT doesn’t just boost your health — it also improves how well you do in both short bursts of intense exercise and longer, steady activities.
If you do HIIT a few times a week, you’ll find yourself performing better in things like playing with your kids or playing sports.
How to get started with HIIT
Starting to add high-intensity intervals to your workouts is easy; there are many ways to do it.
To begin, just choose your exercise (like biking, jogging, or jumping rope).
Then, you can try different recovery and exercise times, or how long you rest between tough workouts.
Tips
Here’s some advice to help you create an awesome HIIT routine:
- Choose an exercise that’s not too tough for you. For example, if you haven’t jogged in a while, don’t start sprinting hard.
- If your joints hurt, try swimming or cycling instead, which are easier on your body.
- Make sure to take enough rest. Resting as long as you work helps keep your HIIT intense enough.
- Keep your work periods short, no longer than 30 seconds. It’s hard to keep up the intensity for longer and still call it HIIT.
- Start with just a few cycles, twice a week. HIIT can be tough on your body, especially with high-impact exercises, so rest between sessions to avoid injuries.
Examples
Here are a few simple HIIT exercises you can try:
- Try cycling as fast as you can on a stationary bike for 30 seconds. Then, pedal slowly for 2 to 4 minutes. Do this for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Start with a jog, then sprint for 15 seconds as fast as you can. After that, jog or walk slowly for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat this for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Do squat jumps quickly for 30 to 90 seconds. Then, walk or stand for 30 to 90 seconds. Repeat this for 10 to 20 minutes.
While these examples can help you begin, feel free to adjust your routine to fit your preferences.