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Change Your Whole Regimen With High-Intensity Interval Training

Kate Daley— Canadian Living

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What Exactly Is HIIT?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. There are lots of incarnations — think Tabata or a more structured CrossFit workout. Basically, it's a series of intervals involving short periods of hard-core exercise (for example, 30 seconds of burpees, jumping jacks or pushups done as hard and fast as possible) followed by a period of rest.

While this type of workout has been used by athletes for decades, says Brendon Gurd, an assistant professor at the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University, it has recently grabbed the attention of fitness fiends, thanks to a series of studies showing that HIIT can improve your fitness level to the same extent as more time-consuming endurance training, meaning you can accomplish more faster. But don't think this is an easy way out of exercising. Read on for more about this increasingly popular fitness trend.

Feel The Burn

If you're looking to lose weight, a 30- to 60-minute run will burn more calories than your average HIIT workout, says Gurd. But if you're looking to improve your overall fitness, HIIT is where it's at. Fitness gains are far more important than weight loss when it comes to preventing diseases and living a longer, healthier life, explains Gurd. "Fitness, more so than body weight, predicts health outcomes," he says.

And while you may burn fewer calories during a HIIT workout, some studies show a greater calorie burn following that workout. Data in the Journal of Translational Medicine suggests that high-intensity weight lifting increases energy expenditure for 22 hours after a training session. Researchers concluded that HIIT may be a useful tool for overall health since a shorter workout duration can reduce the barriers to exercise.

HIIT Gets You Fit

Studies have shown that just four minutes of interval training can improve fitness levels to the same extent as 30 minutes of jogging on the treadmill. Why? "Repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise cause the cardiovascular system to get better at delivering blood through the body, cause muscles to improve their ability to generate force and allow you to move better," says Gurd. "HIIT will help you improve in endurance sports."

No Pain, No Gain

But if you think these short workouts sound like a cakewalk, be warned: True HIIT programs are very intense and painful. "If you're doing HIIT properly, it's horrible — like you're-going-to-throw-up horrible," says Gurd. "If you're not feeling terrible at the end of a HIIT workout, you probably won't see a benefit." Always talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness regimen, especially if you have a health condition such as heart disease.

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Fitness Trends For 2014

High-Intensity Interval Training(01 of20)

Typically involves short bursts of high-intensity bouts of exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery; these exercise programs usually take less than 30 minutes to perform. (credit:Shutterstock)

Body Weight Training(02 of20)

People have been using their own body weight for centuries as a form of resistance training. New packaging by commercial clubs as an exercise program has now made it popular in all kinds of gyms. Body Weight Training uses minimal equipment, which makes it an inexpensive way to exercise effectively. Most people think of body weight training as being limited to push-ups and pull-ups, but it can be much more than that. (credit:Shutterstock)

Educated, Certified, And Experienced Fitness Professionals(03 of20)

There continues to be exponential growth of educational programs at community colleges, undergraduate programs, and graduate programs at colleges and universities. (credit:Shutterstock)

Strength Training(04 of20)

any younger clients of both community-based programs and commercial clubs train exclusively using weights. However, today, there are many other individuals (both men and women, young and old, and children) whose main focus is on using weight training to improve or maintain strength. Many contemporary health and fitness professionals incorporate some form of strength training into a comprehensive exercise routine for their clients and for patients with stable disease. It is not uncommon for cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation or metabolic disease management programs to include weight training in the exercise programs of patients. Strength training remains popular in all sectors of the health and fitness industry and for many different kinds of clients. (credit:Shutterstock)

Exercise And Weight Loss(05 of20)

Commercial weight loss programs have been trying to infuse a regular exercise program into their caloric restriction diets. Most of these well-publicized diet plans incorporate exercise into the daily routine of providing prepared meals to their clients. The combination of Exercise and Weight Loss is a trend toward incorporating all weight loss programs with a sensible exercise program. (credit:Shutterstock)

Personal Training(06 of20)

Personal trainers are used by community-based programs, in commercial settings, in corporate wellness programs, and in medical fitness programs. As more professional personal trainers are educated and become certified, they are increasingly more accessible in all sectors of the health and fitness industry. (credit:Shutterstock)

Fitness Programs For Older Adults(07 of20)

The concern for the health of aging adults has been consistently at the top of this survey, and this year is no different. The so-called baby boom generation has now aged into retirement, and because they may have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts, fitness clubs should capitalize on this exponentially growing market. Fitness programs for older adults will remain a strong trend for 2014. (credit:Shutterstock)

Functional Fitness(08 of20)

Functional fitness is defined as using strength training to improve balance, coordination, force, power, and endurance to improve someone’s ability to perform activities of daily living. Functional fitness programs replicate actual activities someone might do as a function of their daily living. (credit:Shutterstock)

Group Personal Training(09 of20)

This trend lets the personal trainer continue to provide the personal service clients expect but now in a small group of two to four, offering potentially deep discounts to each member of the group. (credit:Shutterstock)

Yoga(10 of20)

Yoga comes in a variety of forms, including Power Yoga, Yogalates, and Bikram Yoga (the one done in hot and humid environments). Other forms of Yoga include Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Anuara Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Sivananda Yoga. Instructional tapes and books are abundant, as are the growing numbers of certifications for the many yoga formats. (credit:Shutterstock)

Children And Exercise(11 of20)

Childhood and adolescent obesity continues to be a major health issue in most developed and developing nations and is becoming increasingly important to address because of its association with other medical problems such as diabetes and hypertension.The health and fitness industry should recognize this chronic health issue and start new programs targeted specifically at these children. Corporate and clinical programs also may see this as an opportunity to develop specialized physical activity programs for children of their staff and clients. (credit:Shutterstock)

Worksite Health Promotion(12 of20)

Designed to improve the health of workers, this is a trend for a range of programs and services that incorporate systems to evaluate health, health care costs, and worker productivity. Some of these programs are physically housed within the company or corporation building or on their campus, whereas other programs contract with independent commercial or community-based programs. (credit:Shutterstock)

Core Training(13 of20)

Core training stresses strength and conditioning of the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen, thorax, and back. It typically includes exercises of the hips, lower back, and abdomen, all of which provide support for the spine and thorax. Exercising the core muscles improves overall stability of the trunk and transfers that to the extremities, enabling the individual to meet the demands of activities of daily living and for the performance of various sports that require strength, speed, and agility. (credit:Shutterstock)

Outdoor Activities(14 of20)

Outdoor activities often include hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and games or sports. Outdoor activities also can include high adventure programs such as overnight camping trips. (credit:Shutterstock)

Circuit Training(15 of20)

Circuit training is a group of six to 10 exercises that are completed one after another and in a predetermined sequence. Each exercise is performed for a specified number of repetitions or for a set period before having a quick rest and moving on to the next exercise. (credit:Shutterstock)

Outcome Measurements(16 of20)

A trend that addresses accountability, these are efforts to define and track outcomes to prove a selected program actually works. Measurements are necessary to determine the benefits of health and fitness programs in disease management and to document success in changing negative lifestyle habits. The proliferation of technology has aided in data collection to support these efforts. (credit:Shutterstock)

Wellness Coaching(17 of20)

Wellness coaching integrates behavioral change science into health promotion, disease prevention, and rehabilitation programs. Wellness coaching often uses a one-on-one approach, similar to a personal trainer, with the coach providing support, guidance, and encouragement. The wellness coach focuses on the client’s values, needs, vision, and goals. (credit:Shutterstock)

Sport-Specific Training(18 of20)

is trend incorporates sport-specific training for sports such as baseball and tennis, designed especially for young athletes. For example, a high school athlete might join a commercial or community-based fitness organization to help develop skills during the off-season and to increase strength and endurance specific to that sport. (credit:Shutterstock)

Worker Incentive Programs(19 of20)

his is a trend that creates incentive programs to stimulate positive healthy behavior change as part of employer-based health promotion programming and health care benefits. This trend represents a resurgence of corporate health promotion programs as a result of rising health care costs experienced by both small and large companies and corporations. (credit:Shutterstock)

Boot Camp(20 of20)

Boot camp is a high-intensity structured activity patterned after military-style training. Boot Camp includes cardiovascular, strength, endurance, and flexibility drills and usually involves both indoor and outdoor exercises typically led by an enthusiastic instructor. (credit:Shutterstock)

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