Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
SANO Editorial
It’s not just for athletes and Olympians. High Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT) refers to any type of workout that combines high intensity bursts of exercise with fixed recovery periods. Don’t have time to get to the gym, no worries. HIIT exercise can be completed in a 15-20 minute session in the comfort of your own home with little or no equipment required. Here, we share the must-know HIIT facts so you can torch calories, burn fat, and sculpt lean muscle effectively just in time for summer.
Insanely Efficient. Who needs hour long workouts when you can get as good if not better results in 15 minutes?! HIIT workouts are perfect for anyone who has the typical busy lifestyle and can only find a short window of time before work, during lunch or after work. Research has proven that completing HITT workouts three times per week can provide more caloric burn than someone jogging on a treadmill for an hour. Why spend 2 hours at the gym when you can get as much accomplished in a fraction of the time?
Shed Fat, Not Lean Muscle. When dieting in anticipation of getting into a swimsuit, it’s sometimes challenging to not lose that hard-earned lean muscle along with fat. While cardio promotes muscle loss, several studies have shown that weight training and HIIT workouts maintain those earned gym sweat muscles safeguarding that most of the weight lost come from stored fat.
Healthier Heart. With high intensity workouts like HIIT, the heart becomes a stronger pump providing the blood vessels and arteries to become more elastic. As a result, blood and oxygen are allowed to flow easier throughout the body preventing against heart attacks and strokes. And after all, a healthier heart leaves you well equipped for the challenges ahead and the ability to seek extraordinary new heights.
Increase Metabolism. It is true that all workouts burn fat by burning calories, but more intense workouts burn more fat. One of the biggest draws of HIIT is it’s a great metabolism booster. After your workout the body continues burning fat and produces human growth hormone (HGH) by nearly 500% during the 24 hours following your workout. HGH not only assists in burning more calories, but also decelerates the aging process providing for a younger look both inside and out.
No Gym or Equipment Required. Who wants to be in a gym working out when you can get shredded outdoors or at home?! You can get an excellent calorie-incinerating, body sculpting HIIT sesh at the beach, park or even in your living room. Here are some of our favorite HIIT exercises: squats/lunges, squats / planks / pushups, and jumping jacks / squats / pushups.
Compared to other cardio workouts, HITT workouts along with supplementing nourishing vegan proteins can improve your endurance, increase strength and get you shredded in a fraction of the time!