The Pros and Cons of High-Intensity Interval Training
HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training, which you’ve probably heard of if you’re into fitness.
As the name suggests, these are meant to be very hard. High-Intensity Training, Interval Training, and High-Intensity Interval Training are all different. HIIT is different from other workouts because it combines short bursts of all-out effort with short breaks.
It’s a popular workout right now that claims to help you burn a lot of calories and fat in as little as four minutes.
The benefits of HIIT training include:
- More calories burned
- Boosts endurance
- Boosts the metabolism
- Helps regulate insulin levels
- Less time in the gym
- It can be done with or without tools.
Most HIIT routines require a “9 out of 10” amount of effort. The harder you work during an HIIT workout, the more oxygen your body needs, and the more calories you’ll burn. It also makes you burn more calories after your workout because your body keeps working to get more oxygen and get back to normal levels for a long time after you’re done working out.
The rest intervals are an important part of HIIT because you should be working hard during your workouts. ATP is your body’s system for storing and transferring chemical energy. When you are active, you do short, intense bursts that use up your body’s immediate supply of ATP. During rest periods, your body works to make more ATP. If you’re doing HIIT right, you’ll feel like you can’t breathe when you’re not working out.
The Downsides of HIIT
You can have too much of a good thing, that’s true. Because HIIT is so hard and the goal is to get close to your maximum effort, you should only do it up to three times per week. If you do HIIT too often, your body might not be able to fully recover, which means you can’t work out as hard as you should. When you’re tired during an HIIT workout, your form and technique might suffer, which makes it more likely that you’ll get hurt.
This type of training is also not good for people who are just starting to work out, because it is hard and needs the right way to warm up, move, and cool down. Beginners might not have the right form or level of fitness to do high-intensity workouts, which puts them at a higher risk of getting hurt. HIIT is also not good for people with heart problems or other health problems that could get worse with intense effort (unless approved by a doctor).
In general, HIIT is more likely to hurt you because it is fast-paced and the moves can be complicated. In the end, it’s much easier to pull a muscle when you do exercises quickly and with bad form. HIIT can cause overuse injuries and joint strains because it puts a lot of stress on your body. Again, resting between sets and sessions is important.
It’s nice that HIIT can be done in a short amount of time, but it’s recommended that everyone get 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. You probably won’t reach your goal if you only do short HIIT workouts. Most experts say that you should do some low- to medium-intensity cardio and some resistance training each week.
Adding HIIT workouts to your fitness routine can help you lose weight, build muscle, and improve your heart health, especially if you are short on time, but it shouldn’t be the only way you exercise. HIIT can make you more active if you do it right, taking into account your body’s abilities, taking breaks, and using the right form.
To learn more about HIIT, contact our Foothill Ranch Physical Therapy , Placentia Physical Therapy, Mission Viejo Physical Therapy, or Lake Forest Physical Therapy locations.