What is hiit cardio

Additionally, one study found that people performing HIIT three times per week for 20 minutes per session lost 4.

Several other studies also indicate that body fat can be reduced with HIIT, despite the relatively low time commitment 17 , 18 , However, like other forms of exercise, HIIT may be most effective for fat loss in those who are overweight or obese 20 , High-intensity intervals can produce similar fat loss to traditional endurance exercise, even with a much smaller time commitment.

They can also reduce unhealthy visceral fat. In addition to helping with fat loss, HIIT could help increase muscle mass in certain individuals 21 , 22 , However, the gain in muscle mass is primarily in the muscles being used the most, often the trunk and legs 16 , 21 , Some research in active individuals has failed to show higher muscle mass after HIIT programs If you are not very active, you may gain some muscle by starting HIIT but not as much as if you performed weight training.

However, it appears that HIIT can produce the same benefits in a shorter amount of time 20 , 21 , This was almost identical to the improvement in oxygen consumption in the other group in the study, who cycled continuously for 40 minutes per day, four days per week.

Once again, the total time exercising was much different between groups: minutes per week for the traditional exercise versus only 60 minutes per week of HIIT. Additional studies also demonstrate that HIIT can improve oxygen consumption 25 , High-intensity interval training can improve oxygen consumption as much as traditional endurance training, even if you only exercise about half as long.

A large amount of research indicates that it can reduce heart rate and blood pressure in overweight and obese individuals, who often have high blood pressure One study found that eight weeks of HIIT on a stationary bike decreased blood pressure as much as traditional continuous endurance training in adults with high blood pressure 7.

In this study, the endurance training group exercised four days per week for 30 minutes per day, but the HIIT group only exercised three times per week for 20 minutes per day. Some researchers have found that HIIT may even reduce blood pressure more than the frequently recommended moderate-intensity exercise However, it appears that high-intensity exercise does not typically change blood pressure in normal-weight individuals with normal blood pressure HIIT can reduce blood pressure and heart rate, primarily in overweight or obese individuals with high blood pressure.

Blood sugar can be reduced by HIIT programs lasting less than 12 weeks 20 , A summary of 50 different studies found that not only does HIIT reduce blood sugar , but it also improves insulin resistance more than traditional continuous exercise Based on this information, it is possible that high-intensity exercise is particularly beneficial for those at risk for type 2 diabetes.

In fact, some experiments specifically in individuals with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated the effectiveness of HIIT for improving blood sugar However, research in healthy individuals indicates that HIIT may be able to improve insulin resistance even more than traditional continuous exercise High-intensity interval training may be especially beneficial for those needing to reduce blood sugar and insulin resistance.

These improvements have been seen in both healthy and diabetic individuals. Whether your goal is to improve your fitness, lower your risk for cardiovascular disease, lose weight, strengthen skeletal muscle or help get your blood sugar under control, a few minutes of HIIT seem to be as effective as much longer periods of moderate-paced running , cycling , swimming or other forms of traditional cardio.

For well-trained athletes, HIIT may be the best way to elevate your physical performance. One small study of healthy but sedentary people found just one minute total of HIIT performed three days a week for six weeks was enough to significantly improve blood sugar scores and aerobic capacity, a measure of physical fitness.

The total workout time, start to finish, was 10 minutes. Other research finds that HIIT may outperform traditional cardio when it comes to fat loss. Among people with heart disease, HIIT improves cardiorespiratory fitness nearly twice as much as longer stretches of moderate-intensity running, cycling or other aerobic exercises, one review study concluded. How can HIIT do so much good in so little time?

Exercise of any intensity switches on genes that increase the growth of mitochondria—the power generators of the cells—and triggers all of the other beneficial biological changes linked with physical fitness, says Astorino. HIIT can work for a wide range of people. But how you should practice it depends on your fitness level.

Bend your knees, keeping them in line with your feet, and sit back into a quarter squat a. Perform a small jump, and land back in your squat position b. Get into plank position, hands on the ground directly under your shoulders, legs about hip width apart a.

Keeping your elbows tucked against your sides and your body in a straight line, bend your elbows and lower your entire body until it almost touches the ground or as far down as you can b. Return to start position c. Start with feet hip width apart, arms at your sides. Perform a small jump upwards while simultaneously moving your right leg forward and left leg backwards, landing in a lunge with right knee bent directly over your toes, left knee bent directly in line with your hip a.

Jump and at the same time reverse legs b. Get onto all fours facing the ceiling, knees bent 90 degrees over your toes, hands on the ground under your shoulders, fingers facing forward, back straight so your core is parallel to the ground a.

Keeping your elbows tucked in, bend them to lower your butt as close to the ground as you can get b. Push back up c. Start standing.