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Whether you’re daily elliptical routine is feeling a little stale or you’re looking for a way to increase your fitness, it might be time to add HIIT to your workout regimen.

What is HIIT?
HIIT, or high intensity interval training, combines short bursts of intense intervals with shorter periods of rest. During the intense intervals, you push your body to its limits by increasing the speed of your workout past the point of comfort. During the rest, slip back to a comfortable walk, jog, or pace that allows your body to quickly recover from the interval. Then repeat.

Why does HIIT work?
Requiring your body to perform intense intervals demands more of your cardiovascular system, and increases that system’s endurance. According to Women’s Health, HIIT not only burns calories while you’re working out, but because it demands that your body use more oxygen than steady-state cardio, your body continues to burn calories after your workout ends.

Beyond the complicated science of HIIT, including studies showing benefits to both anaerobic and aerobic body systems, why HIIT works may be far simpler. HIIT spices up the typical indoor cardio workout, making the minutes move more quickly. Instead of letting your mind wander to what’s for dinner and what you need to accomplish at work, your mind stays engaged, watching the intervals fly by and forcing your body to adjust from intense intervals to rest intervals. Watching the clock for ten minutes turns into watching the clock for thirty seconds.

HIIT also eliminates the excuse that you just don’t have time for a workout. Even on days when you can’t find an hour to get in a workout, we can all slip in to FitClub for 10 minutes. A 10 minute HIIT workout provides lasting effects throughout the day and allows you to maintain a constant workout regimen even on days you’re short of time.

How to Make HIIT Work for You.

Just like any training plan, start slowly when incorporating HIIT into your training. You can start with 30 seconds of activity, followed by thirty seconds of rest, reducing the amount of rest as your body adapts to the new training. If that seems too daunting, experiment with the ratio until you find a comfortable, but challenging, starting place.

Now that summer days are winding down, this is a good time to incorporate HIIT into your treadmill or stationary cycling sessions. Mix up a treadmill run or indoor bike ride with thirty seconds of all out sprints, followed by thirty seconds of slower jogging, cycling, or walking.  HIIT can be used on any cardio machine you enjoy. Try it on the elliptical, treadmill, bikes, and rowing machine.

Don’t forget to track your progress. One advantage of HIIT is how quickly it increases your fitness and endurance. Make a note of your starting place and track your progress, which will make it easier to power through those intense intervals on challenging days.

Share your HIIT experiences with your FitClub friends. Have you tried it? What works for you?

FitClub also offers HIIT classes. Have a group exercise instructor lead your next HIIT workout. Check out the group exercise land schedules for times.

Learn more about what to expect in a HIIT class contact Sabrina, flyfitness15@gmail.com.