The accurately poetic acronym is not in fact a misspelling of the word ‘HIT’ but more a quicker way to describe high intensity interval training. Rising in popularity, HIIT workouts have been on the scene since 2014 and are still going strong. So if you’re late to the party and are yet to jump on the bandwagon, here’s five reasons why you should:
MAR 31st 2017
5 Benefits of HIIT workouts
- Efficiency – HIIT workouts are efficient. Working to your maximum consistently means that you are able to burn more calories in less time.
- Intervals - Adding intervals into your workouts helps you burn more fat during your sweat session. You’re allowing your heart rate to increase and decrease will force your body to work harder.
- After-burn effect - Compared to steady-paced workouts, HIIT sessions have a higher after-burn effect. Your ability to continue to burn calories after your workout is greater and over for a longer period of time, than other workout types.
- Endurance - HIIT workouts also increase your endurance. Increasing your overall cardiovascular fitness allows you to feel the benefits in other types of exercise. So when you do go for a long, steady-paced run, you’ll find yourself being able to run further.
- Health and wellbeing – From a health perspective, intervals training does more than just improve your cardiovascular health. HIIT workouts are known to help reduce cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity (which helps fight type 2 diabetes).