5 Reasons You Should Try High-Intensity Interval Training
“I don’t have time to exercise”
This is one of the biggest barriers to exercise that we hear in today’s fast-paced world.
But what if I told you that there is a way that you can get the benefits of exercise in a fraction of the time?
Introducing… High-intensity interval training. You may have seen it’s acronym, HIIT.
High-intensity exercise?? Ugh! Don’t let the name put you off - because what the name fails to mention is the ‘rest’ part of the training session... Perhaps a better name would be ‘High-intensity interval training with heaps of rest time.’ (HIITWHORT?) Sound a bit better?
What is HIIT?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of aerobic exercise training that alternates between periods of high-intensity exercise efforts, and recovery periods, of varying duration.
It has taken the fitness world by storm for two reasons - it is effective, and it is time-efficient.
The nature of having ‘rest’ intervals dispersed throughout the workout means that you are able to exercise at a much higher intensity during the ‘high’ intervals than otherwise.
Is HIIT training better?
Exercise is always individualised, but HIIT can provide extra benefits.
The ability to exercise at a higher intensity has been proven to elicit adaptations that are on par with, and often even superior to those of continuous (non stop), moderate-intensity exercise!
Here are some (pretty compelling!) reasons to consider HIIT training for your next exercise session…
1. It’s better for your heart health and fitness
Not only is HIIT the fastest and most effective way of improving your fitness, but it has also been proven to have better ‘cardio-protective’ effects than moderate-intensity exercise.
It does this by increasing the heart’s ‘strength’ (it is a muscle after all), decreasing blood pressure, and therefore reducing your risk of events such as heart attacks and strokes. Intensity matters!
2. It can help improve your blood health
HIIT has been proven to be equally as effective as moderate-intensity exercise in helping blood sugar management and improve cholesterol control, including increasing the number of ‘good’ cholesterol - further reducing your risk of heart disease!
3. It can increase your metabolism and aid in weight loss
It does this by a process known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).
When we exercise at higher intensities, our metabolic system switches from aerobic metabolism (using oxygen) to anaerobic metabolism (creating energy in the absence of oxygen).
Think of anaerobic metabolism as if you are ‘borrowing oxygen’, which must eventually be restored when the muscles are given a chance to recover.
This means that the need for oxygen is higher for longer as it restores, and you keep burning calories for longer - even after the workout is finished!
4. It’s great for stress relief
You know how sometimes you just feel like you need to let out a bit of pent up frustration from your day?
Need I say more? HIIT is also often reported to be more enjoyable than continuous intensity exercise, meaning that those feel-good endorphins that follow are optimised, plus you burn off adrenaline and cortisol.
Feel better, sleep better, focus better.
5. Last but not least… Did I mention that it is time-efficient?!
Music to the ears of anyone who struggles with time-poverty!
Less than 30 minutes per session (of which less than 10 minutes is actually at high intensity) completed 3 times per week has been shown to be effective at improving overall health and fitness in only a few weeks!
🖐Warning
You should speak to your GP before starting a HIIT exercise routine.
There are a few conditions that are exposed to higher risk:
Uncontrolled heart conditions, including unmanaged high blood pressure
Chronic fatigue
Some immuno compromised conditions
Severe lung disease (such as COPD)
Sever neuropathy
Uncontrolled diabetes
Author: Yolanda van Vugt, Exercise Physiologist 
