Health Benefits Of A HIIT Workout

HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a type of cardiovascular workout focused on burning fat quickly. Marked by quick, concentrated bursts of exercise with rest breaks in between, HIIT workouts can be fine-tuned to fit anyone's fitness level. One intense exercise burst and one rest break is considered one round of repetitions. Generally, high-intensity interval training consists of four to six repetitions and can last from twenty to thirty minutes. This is highly beneficial for individuals who may only have a brief amount of time, such as a lunch break, to exercise. High-intensity interval training is easy to do nearly anywhere because it does not require any equipment and only utilizes body weight for resistance.

Burns Lots Of Calories Quickly

One huge bonus to a HIIT workout is it burns lots of calories quickly. A thirty-minute high-intensity interval training workout can burn more calories than running, biking, or weight training for the same amount of time. This happens because the intense bursts are to be performed at maximum capacity. Most steady exercise is usually performed with less intensity. Caloric burning can vary based on the time ratio of intense intervals and rest break intervals. For example, one minute of running (intense) with two minutes of walking (rest break) is considered a 1:2 ratio. However, even with a 1:4 ratio, HIIT workouts still burn more calories in the same amount of time as most other forms of steady exercise.

Increased Metabolic Rate For Hours

High-intensity interval training is the way to go to achieve an increased metabolic rate for hours after exercising. The body is constantly burning calories to perform vital survival functions like breathing. The basal metabolic rate refers to the rate at which the body burns calories at rest. This rate can increase and decrease depending on the activity level of the individual. Metabolism increases with exercise and automatically decreases immediately after. A HIIT workout keeps the metabolic rate high for hours after a workout due to its sheer intensity. Continually raising the metabolic rate not only burns calories in the moment, but it helps raise the basal metabolic rate too. This allows the body to burn more calories while at rest.