Go. Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Stop.
Your morning commute or your new favorite workout?
For years, medical professionals have been advising people that when working out, a moderate pace for a long period of time is best. The thinking was that this type of workout burned more fat and was most beneficial to the heart.
A large body of research is showing that your 60 minute jog on the treadmill may be a waste of time.
This new type of exercise which is creating quite a buzz with exercise physiologists is called HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
Why is HIIT such a hit?
Research has shown that HIIT vs. traditional moderate aerobics:
-Burns more body fat
-Takes less time
-Better increases resting metabolic rate (aka your metabolism)
-Increases metabolism long after the workout (the effect lasts 24 hours)
-Better maintains muscle during weight loss
-Reduces more risk factors for metabolic syndrome (a condition that puts one a extremely high risk of developing heart disease)
Before you put your treadmill in with tomorrow’s trash, let us delve a bit deeper into HIIT.
What exactly is HIIT? HIIT is a workout in which you are alternating short bursts of high effort (for example, a sprint), with longer periods of moderate effort (like light jogging).
A typical HIIT workout looks like this:
-5-10 minute warm up (light jogging)
-60 second light jog or pedaling (on a stationary bike or elliptical trainer)
-30 second high intensity interval
-60 second light jog or pedaling
-30 second high intensity interval
(repeat cycle 6-8 times)
-5-10 minutecool down
The entire workout, including warm up and cool down, should take about 20-30 minutes. It is amazing that, with HIIT, you can get double the workout in half the time.
HIIT does have a few caveats. Just like any exercise program, it is best to check with your physician to make sure you are healthy enough for HIIT. Also, it is best if you are at least in moderately good shape before trying HIIT. Fortunately, HIIT is something that you can work your way up to.
So please, see your physician about trying HIIT for any of the benefits listed above. Read more about it in the articles that I’ve listed below. I hope HIIT works for you as well as it has for myself and many others.
Oh, and try to resist the urge to run out of your front door to do sprints in the snow.
Some Further Reading:
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/118/4/346
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/fashion/03Fitness.html?_r=1
http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/102/4/1439
http://jp.physoc.org/cgi/content/full/575/3/901
I found that walking was the best exercise for me.I couldn’t jog.It was just too hard to do.I gradually extended my walking distance and walk very fast with periods of slower walk.This seems to be similar to the method of intense exercise for a short period followed by lighter exercise. It works for me.With a healthy diet of veggies,fruit,beans,nuts and a little lean meat and fish the pounds just vanished and I am now lean and fit and will stay that way. Walking briskly is great aerobic exercise for the heart and lungs too. I advise anyone who seriously wants to lose weight to try walking this way.It works for me.
Hi John,
Thanks for sharing your successful exercise and nutrition regimen.
A lot of people have the misconception that you need to be able to run a marathon to be in good shape. Walking is a great form of exercise and is especially great for those wanting to get back into shape.
Doing interval training in walking form is an excellent idea.
Congrats for losing the weight and keeping it off John!