HIIT training is amazing for your health. How to do it at home

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The American Heart Association recommends that adults get "at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity" — or a combination of both. For even greater health benefits, they encourage being active at least 300 minutes (or 5 hours) per week.

If you're thinking, "who has that kind of time?" you're not alone —which may be why HIIT workouts have become so popular. HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and if you're time-strapped, this type of exercise allows you to reap all of the same health benefits of steady-state cardio in significantly less time.

What is HIIT?

High-intensity interval training — or HIIT — is a workout that alternates between short bursts of intense physical activity and periods of rest or low-intensity exercise.

Typically, cardio and strength training are combined to create a well-rounded high-intensity interval training workout. A HIIT session often involves exercises like sprinting or bodyweight movements performed at maximum effort for a brief period, followed by a recovery phase. These cycles are repeated multiple times within a session, which can last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. The primary goal of HIIT is to push the body to its limits during the high-intensity intervals. They are strategically designed to maximize calorie burn and cardiovascular benefits, helping you get an efficient workout in a shorter amount of time than low-intensity steady state cardio.

Benefits of HIIT

HIIT workouts are amazing for your health. This style of training boosts metabolism, burns calories (which can encourage weight loss), and builds strength and muscle. HIIT not only maximizes the amount of energy expended during the workout itself, but also elevates the metabolic rate for hours after the exercise session is over.

HIIT can also be easily adapted to various fitness levels and requires minimal equipment, making it accessible and convenient for a wide range of people. Other benefits of HIIT include an increase in muscle mass, better oxygen consumption, reduced blood sugar and improved blood pressure.

Are HIIT workouts good for weight loss?

HIIT workouts are highly effective for weight loss due to their ability to burn a significant number of calories in a short amount of time.

Research shows that interval training like HIIT is best for fat loss. This is because HIIT training not only increases your metabolism during the workout, but it stays elevated after the workout is complete. This after-burn effect, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), means that the body continues to burn calories at an increased rate even after the workout is completed.

HIIT workouts are also beneficial for preserving muscle mass while losing fat. This is important because muscle tissue burns more calories at rest compared to fat tissue, which can further aid in weight loss and improve body composition.

Are HIIT workouts for beginners?

HIIT can be an effective way for most people — regardless of age, gender or fitness level — to train. Since it requires less time than more moderate-intensity workouts, it makes it easier to commit to fitness on a consistent basis.

But it's important to remember that HIIT is so effective because it is challenging. So be aware of any physical limitations and adjust accordingly. While, many HIIT routines have high-impact movements, that's not a requirement. High intensity doesn’t have to mean high impact. If you suffer from joint issues or pain, you should incorporate low impact, but high intensity, exercises like speed squats, mountain climbers and marching in place. If you have no joint issues or pain, you are safe to experiment with higher-impact exercises like high knees, jumping jacks and burpees. As always you should consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

I also encourage people to take their lifestyle into consideration. If you're stressed and have elevated cortisol levels, a HIIT workout may not be the best option for you. If you push yourself to your max effort during cardio bursts, it does place stress on the body and elevated cortisol can hinder weight loss. So instead of doing a full out sprint or a super intense cardio burst, opting for lower-intensity cardio may be a healthier choice for you.

HIIT workouts at home

You'll be happy to hear that you don't need to master a complicated routine to try HIIT. Any form of movement can be done HIIT style, whether you’re doing pure cardio, like walking or jogging, or doing strength exercises.

• Cardio: Adding intervals to your cardio routine is a simple way to start experimenting with HIIT training. If you’re currently doing steady-state cardio like walking, add intervals by playing with speed. For example, walking at a slow pace for one minute, followed by a fast pace for one minute.

• Strength: Another way to incorporate HIIT into your workout is to alternate between strength exercises and bursts of cardio. This could look like doing a strength exercise (like squats) for one minute, then going into a one-minute cardio burst (like high knees), and alternating like this between cardio and strength for the duration of your workout.

HIIT workouts for beginners

You can easily turn your walk or strength session into a HIIT routine. Here are two sample workouts to try:

HIIT cardio workout

If you’re a walker, follow this HIIT routine:

• Warm up: Walk at a normal pace for 3 minutes.

• 1-minute speed: Walk at a fast pace. (You can also measure by distance. For example: Walk for one block or a quarter mile at a quicker pace.)

• 1-minute recover: Walk at a slower pace.

Alternate between the speed and recovery rounds for the duration of your walk before cooling down.

HIIT strength workout

If you’re doing strength training, follow this HIIT routine:

• Warm up: Do 3 minutes of steady-state cardio like walking or marching in place.

• 1-minute strength: Perform 3 strength exercises for 10 repetitions each. You could do 10 squats, 10 pushups and 10 bicep curls.

• 1-minute cardio: Perform a cardio burst, like running in place, doing squat jumps, or getting on the elliptical and moving quickly.

Alternate between the strength and cardio rounds for the duration of your workout before cooling down.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com