GET 'SOUL FIT' WITH 'HIIT'......

Everyone’s always looking for the next best workout - the latest secret to training and achieving optimal results. Most people are living busy lives and everyone wants to know how to get maximum results with minimal time commitments. In my opinion, that’s where high intensity interval training (or HIIT) comes in to play.

HIIT is essentially exercising at a high intensity for short bursts, followed by a short resting exercise (Active Recovery). The resting exercise is usually an activity that is less intense or involves different, lighter movements. A simple HIIT workout on a rower could be sprinting as fast as you can for 30 seconds, followed by a slow row or fast walk for 60 seconds, and repeating the cycle for 15-30 minutes depending on your endurance level and desired results.

The benefits of HIIT are overwhelming and a great reason for you to give it a try during your next workout - WHY?

YOU WILL BURN MORE CALORIES:

The short bursts of vigorous exercise done in HIIT allow you to burn more calories than you would with steady state cardio. It lengthens your exercise post oxygen consumption (EPOC), which means that you will continue burning more calories after you train. Another benefit of the calories burned during HIIT is the fact that this type of exercise encourages weight loss from fat and builds muscle during the process. Steady state cardio for example; jogging on the treadmill for 60 minutes, on the other hand, can lead to muscle loss over time, if programmed/done incorrectly with your training routine.

YOU WILL IMPROVE YOUR AEROBIC CAPACITY:

Progressively adding HIIT exercises to your training routine will strengthen and build your endurance. Over time, you’ll be able to exercise longer with higher intensity because interval training increases how much oxygen your lungs are able to consume. It boosts your V02 Max (oxidative capacity), which is the rate that your muscles can pull oxygen out of your bloodstream to be used. This leads to increased oxygen efficiency used by your body.

YOU WILL SAVE TIME:

One of the most appealing benefits of interval training is the fact that you can achieve optimal results in shorter periods of time. In fact, 10 minutes of HIIT can give you more visible results than 30 minutes of steady state cardio.

YOU WILL IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH:

Interval training does more than give you a great endurance workout; it also acts as a workout for your veins and arteries. During the course of HIIT, the flexibility and elasticity of your blood vessels are being trained more than any aerobic activity. Over time, this will lead to lower blood pressure, decrease in heart disease and a reduction in your chance of heart attacks or strokes.

YOU WILL INCREASE YOUR METABOLISM:

A higher metabolism equals fewer calories stored as fat, which is crucial for weight loss goals. Interval training increases your metabolism and your caloric burn. It can even lower a person’s sensitivity to insulin by allowing the body to process glucose more efficiently.

YOU WILL HAVE MORE FUN:

Interval training is more fun than steady cardio. Since the intervals are short and the activities are always dynamic and changing, you won’t have much time to get bored - the variety will keep you interested.

YOU DON'T NEED A GYM OR FANCY EQUIPMENT:

Since you can do most interval training exercises with little to no equipment, there’s no excuse! You can perform these exercises while traveling, on holidays, in your home as a replacement for a gym membership or outdoors at the park etc.

Note: If you are just starting out - make your starting point about 'steady state cardio', this will enable you to build a better base for 'HIIT' as you progressively increase your strength & fitness level. Focus on habits and routine first - DO NOT RUSH IT AND OVER REACH!

If you're ready for the challenge, Get 'Soul Fit' with a splash of 'HIIT'!!!!

All the best with your health , strength and fitness journey.

SFTM