Even though the majority of people are aware of the benefits of physical movement, it is thought that 20% of people worldwide do not engage in enough of it daily.

Your best bet for staying active is probably a devoted workout routine, unless you have a physically demanding profession.

- Many individuals, though, believe they don't have enough time to exercise.

- You should consider trying high intensity interval training (HIIT) if this describes you.

- Exercise routines that combine brief bursts of intense exercise with rest intervals are referred to as "HIIT" workouts.

- The ability to achieve maximum health benefits in the shortest amount of time is one of the major benefits of HIIT.

- This article defines HIIT and explores some of its top health advantages.

HIIT entails quick bursts of intensive activity separated by slower, rest periods. It's interesting that it might be the most time-effective exercising method.

A HIIT workout usually lasts between 10 and 30 minutes

Despite being brief, the activity can have health advantages comparable to those of twice as much moderate-intensity exercise.

Although the specific workout varies, it may involve sprinting, biking, jumping rope, or other bodyweight activities.

A HIIT workout on a stationary bike, for instance, would include 30 seconds of as-fast-as-possible, high-resistance cycling, followed by several minutes of easy, leisurely pedaling with low resistance.

HIIT burns a large number of calories quickly

HIIT can help you burn calories quickly.

In one study, the number of calories burned after HIIT, weight training, running, and biking for 30 minutes was compared.

Researchers discovered that HIIT burned between 25 and 30 percent more calories than other types of exercise.

A HIIT repetition in this study comprised of 20 seconds of maximum effort and 40 seconds of recovery.

This indicates that the participants only exercised for a third as long as the groups who ran and biked did.

HIIT workouts frequently last far less time than regular exercise sessions, despite the fact that each one in this study lasted 30 minutes.

You have a higher metabolic rate for hours following HIIT activity

After your workout, one of the ways HIIT helps you burn calories actually occurs.

Numerous studies have shown that HIIT has a remarkable capacity to raise your metabolic rate for hours after training.

According to several studies, HIIT actually boosts your metabolism after exercise more than running or weight lifting.

The same study discovered that HIIT could cause the body to change its metabolism such that fat is used as fuel instead of carbohydrates.

You can lose fat by using HIIT.

HIIT can aid in fat loss, according to studies.

A review included 424 adults who were overweight or obese and 13 experiments. Intriguingly, it was discovered that HIIT and regular moderate-intensity exercise can both lower body fat and waist circumference.

Despite the relatively small time commitment, numerous other research suggest that HIIT can reduce body fat.

HIIT may, like other types of exercise, be most successful for fat loss in those who are overweight or obese.

HIIT may help you gain muscle.

In certain people, HIIT may also help enhance muscle mass in addition to aiding in fat loss.

However, the muscles that are used the most—typically the ones in the trunk and legs—are the ones that grow the most muscular mass.

In addition, persons who were less active initially are more likely to experience increases in muscle mass.

There has been some evidence of lower muscle mass after HIIT regimens in active persons.

High-intensity interval training may help a little bit of muscle growth, but weight training remains the gold standard for building muscle mass.

HIIT can increase oxygen intake

Your muscles' capacity to utilize oxygen is known as oxygen consumption. Usually, endurance training is utilized to increase oxygen consumption.

This typically consists of extended periods of steady-pace cycling or running. But it seems that HIIT can deliver the same advantages in a shorter length of time.

According to one study, people who did HIIT workouts for 20 minutes four days a week for five weeks increased their oxygen consumption by 9%.

Similar improvements in oxygen consumption were seen in the other trial group, which cycled continuously for 40 minutes per day, four days per week. Another study discovered that HIIT or conventional exercise on a stationary bike for 8 weeks boosted oxygen utilization by roughly 25%.

Again, the overall amount of time spent exercising varied greatly between the groups: 120 minutes per week for regular exercise compared to only 60 minutes for HIIT.

HIIT can lower heart rate and blood pressure.

HIIT may have significant health advantages as well.

Numerous studies suggest that it can lower heart rate and blood pressure in individuals who are overweight or obese, demographics in which high blood pressure is widespread.

According to one study, persons with high blood pressure might lower their blood pressure as much as typical, continuous endurance training after 8 weeks of HIIT on a stationary bike.

The HIIT group only exercised three times each week for 20 minutes per day, compared to the endurance training group's four days per week of 30 minutes per day of exercise.

HIIT may potentially lower blood pressure more than the usually advised moderate-intensity exercise, according to some researchers.

High-intensity exercise does not appear to normally affect blood pressure in individuals with "normal" blood pressure and a "normal" BMI, though.

HIIT can lower blood sugar.

Blood sugar levels can be lowered by HIIT regimens that last shorter than 12 weeks.

According to a review of 50 studies, HIIT decreases insulin resistance more than regular continuous exercise while simultaneously lowering blood sugar levels. According to this findings, high intensity exercise might be especially advantageous for people who are at risk for type 2 diabetes.

The benefit of HIIT for lowering blood sugar has even been shown in several studies conducted exclusively on persons with type 2 diabetes. However, research in healthy individuals suggests that HIIT may be even more effective at reducing insulin resistance than conventional continuous exercise.

HIIT enhances both aerobic and anaerobic performance.

Although HIIT has many positive health effects, it also enhances anaerobic and aerobic performance.

HIIT training will boost your performance during these activities with just a few quick sessions per week, regardless of whether you're an athlete, weekend warrior, or just want to run about with your kids.

How to begin using HIIT

High intensity interval training may be incorporated into your fitness program in a variety of ways, so getting started is simple. Simply pick a sport to start with—running, biking, jumping rope, etc.

Then, you can experiment with various training and recuperation times, or how long you workout intensely and how long you rest.

You can build your own effective HIIT routine by using the following advice:

Choose a lower intensity modality that you are comfortable with. For instance, if you haven't jogged in a while, don't go all out. Start with a lower impact activity, such as cycling or swimming, if you suffer from joint pain.

Give yourself adequate time to rest. Only if you take breaks that are as long as or longer than your work periods will you be able to sustain the required intensity for HIIT.

Limit work intervals to 30 seconds or less. It will be challenging to continue working at the required intensity for longer than 30 seconds to qualify as HIIT.

Just a couple cycles twice a week at first. Exercises with a higher impact are particularly taxing during HIIT training. To prevent injuries, proper recovery between training sessions is essential.

Here are a few straightforward HIIT workout examples:

For 30 seconds, pedal as quickly as forcefully as you can on a stationary bike. After that, pedal for 2-4 minutes at a slow, easy pace. For 15 to 30 minutes, keep doing this sequence.

After jogging to warm up, sprint for 15 seconds as quickly as you can. Next, jog or walk slowly for a few minutes. For ten to twenty minutes, repeat this sequence. Squat jumps should be done as swiftly as you can for 30 to 90 seconds. Next, spend 30 to 90 seconds standing or walking. For ten to twenty minutes, repeat this sequence.

The conclusion

You may burn more calories with high intensity interval training than you would with other types of exercise. It is a very effective form of exercise. High-intensity interval training can increase metabolism, which continues for hours after exercise, which contributes to some of the calories burned. Overall, HIIT delivers many of the same health advantages as other types of exercise in less time.

Reduced body fat, heart rate, and blood pressure are a few of these advantages. Additionally, HIIT might enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels.

Therefore, give high intensity interval training a try if you want to exercise but are short on time.