Can you see yourself having fun during a challenging workout…smiling or laughing along the way? Do you think you can walk away from a training session lasting 20 minutes happier than an hour-long training session? Interval training can do just that for you, but you’re probably thinking you have to perform High-Intensity Intervals (also known as “HIIT” Training) to reap the benefits. The concept behind HIIT is to push harder for a short burst of time, then let your body recover before repeating the higher intensity. Your body will work hard to recover from your more intense effort and you gain a cardiometabolic boost. This boost translates to using more energy (i.e. burning more calories). The good news is that you don’t have to push to a HIGH intensity to benefit…simply pushing between more excursion to less excursion will grant a positive metabolic effect. One study by Jenna B. Gillen, et al. (2016), compared 10 minutes of HIIT (20-second sprints followed by 2 minutes of low intensity alternating for 10 total minutes) to 45 cumulative minutes of Moderate Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) three times a week for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the men had similar improvements in their health, but participants reported greater enjoyment from doing the interval workout.

With interval training, you can try different intensities and different time ratios. Here is one method of training I use, and it has proved beneficial for many of my clients

  • Start with a 5-10 minute warm-up
  • Do 30 seconds of fast walking (modified HIIT) and then 4 minutes of strength training. This style of workout will give 5 cardio bursts worked into a 30-minute strength training workout.

Interval training or HIIT can be helpful for people who have other commitments since the higher intensity intervals will offer a similar calorie burn when compared to the longer steady state training sessions.  This style of workout also offers a bit of a cardiovascular or aerobic benefit to a strength training workout which is anaerobic by nature.  It will also reduce your chances of having diabetes and heart disease. Working towards a goal to decrease your risk can help you live a longer, healthier life. Those are key motivators for making exercise a top priority every week.

Article Written by:
Bethany Reynolds, AFAA-CPT, CI-GEL
Health & Fitness Professional
JKFITNESS, LLC
www.jk-fit.com

Bethany Reynolds, CPT, has helped all ages find joy in fitness. She learned at a young age that the benefits of exercise are numerous and puts that experience to good use counseling clients. She encourages her clients to smile throughout the workout and focus on how they feel while exercising. You can find her locally at JKFITNESS in San Antonio, TX.