Redesign your workout plan with Interval Training
Are you ready to adjust your workout? Do you wish to burn more calories without spending more time at the gym? Consider aerobic interval training, sometimes called high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Once the domain of elite athletes, interval training has become a powerful tool for the average athlete.
What is interval training?
It's not as complicated as you might think. Interval training is alternating short periods of vigorous exercise (about 30 seconds) with longer periods (about 1 to 2 minutes) of less vigorous exercise.
For example, if your workout is walking and you're in good shape, you can add a short jog to your regular brisk walk. If you're not in good shape, you can alternate between leisure walks and brisk walks. For example, if you're walking outdoors, you can walk faster between certain mailboxes, trees, or other landmarks.
What does interval training do for me?
- Burn more calories. The higher the intensity of the exercise, the more calories you will burn, and you can experience this benefit even if you only increase the intensity for a few minutes at a time.
Improve time efficiency. Many people don't exercise because they say they don't have time. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
With interval training, you can achieve effective movement in less time than standard cardiovascular exercise. For example, compared to 40 minutes, you may only need 15 to 20 minutes or less to complete a workout.
Improve aerobic capacity. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you can exercise longer or more vigorously. Imagine that you can do a 60-minute walk in 45 minutes, or if it still takes 60 minutes, but burns more calories.
Improving cardiovascular health also reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
- Don't get bored anymore. Intermittently increasing exercise intensity can increase exercise variety.
- No special equipment is required. Interval walking, running, cycling, or swimming can be done. Or work out on an elliptical, treadmill or exercise bike. You can also add bodyweight exercises such as jumping, squats, and lunges to interval training.
Are the principles of interval training the same for everyone?
Yes, but you can do many different levels of interval training. If you just want to vary your workouts, you can determine the length and pace of each high-intensity interval workout based on your mood for the day.
After a few minutes of warm-up, increase the intensity for 30 seconds, then return to normal speed. Finish with a cooling exercise. Decide for yourself whether to increase the speed, frequency, and time of your exercise.
If you're working towards a specific fitness goal, you may need to take a more scientific approach. A personal trainer or other specialists can help you determine the intensity and duration of interval training, which may include similar movement patterns you use in your sport or activity. Trainers can time interval training based on factors such as your target heart rate and your cardio's ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles (peak oxygen uptake).
Is interval training risky?
Interval training isn't for everyone. If you have chronic health problems or do not exercise regularly, consult your doctor before you do any interval training.
However, it may be more suitable for people who are older, inactive or overweight. Research shows that interval training is safe and beneficial even for people with heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Also, keep in mind that overdoing interval training carries the risk of injury. If your body is not ready to rush into vigorous exercise, you may injure muscles, tendons, or bones. Interval training doesn't have to involve high-intensity exercise, shocks or jumps, or weight training.
Instead, start exercising slowly. At first, do only one or two high-intensity interval training sessions per workout. If you feel like you are exercising too much, slow down. Challenge yourself to change your rhythm as your stamina improves. The results may surprise you.
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