If you’re looking for an exercise routine that will deliver big returns with a small time investment, consider high intensity interval training, or HIIT. Just two or three 30-minute sessions per week can improve cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure and burn more calories than other forms of exercise. It can also improve your performance in sports, because a HIIT workout engages your entire body.
But to get the benefits of HIIT, you need to be ready to work hard. A true HIIT session involves short bursts of intense exercise, pushing your heart rate to 80 percent of your maximum in a short time window, followed by even shorter breaks. The trick is to get your heart rate up, begin to recover, then ramp it right back up again.
Most HIIT workouts don’t require any equipment. All you need is enough space for exercises like jumping jacks, burpees or high knees. You can, however, incorporate equipment like a treadmill or stationary bike into the routine, if you have them. Before the workout, it can be helpful to spend five minutes warming up and perhaps another five cooling down at the end.
For all its benefits, HIIT should not stand alone in your weekly workout regimen, though, since it’s not a strength training workout. Consider it a supercharged addition to your regular routine. The following workout, which was originally created as part of a primer on HIIT exercises, is a straightforward Tabata style workout, which combines multiple 20-second exercise spurts (with 10-second rests) grouped into several rounds. In this example, you perform four exercises twice during each four-minute round.
Overview
Time: 19 minutes
Intensity: High
What you’ll need
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A jump rope
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A timer or exercise app that allows you to program 20-second intervals
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A box or stair that you can safely jump onto
How often
If you’re new to HIIT, start with one session per week. More experienced athletes can do this workout two to three times per week.