5 Health Benefits Of High Intensity Interval Training

High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is a form of workout which pairs quick bouts of high-energy exercise with low-effort rest intervals. It can be just as good as the traditional endurance training and in much lesser time.

The prevalence of foods high in sugar and fat, coupled with a busy schedule means it’s easier than ever for people to forgo exercising. But even a couple minutes of exercise each day can do wonders and protect your health. This form of exercise is, in face, the best solution for maintaining good health in the midst of a busy lifestyle.People with busy lifestyles can get in and out a HIIT studio in 30 minutes yet achieve benefits that are equal to or greater than the benefits achieved during intense, longer-duration workouts.

One of the examples of HIIT which you can do at home is the following set:

* Jump squats for 45 seconds

* Burpees for 45 seconds

*Butt kicks for 45 second (in which you run in place, lifting your right heel to your right buttock and left foot to your left buttock as fast as you can)

* Jump rope for 45 seconds

* Alternating side lunges for 45 seconds

* Jumping lunges for 45 seconds (in which you jump into a lunge, alternating one leg forward and then the next)
Repeat the cycle twice, resting for a minute between sets. You can then follow with:

* Mountain climbers for 45 second (in which you place yourself in a plank position and cycle one near forward at a time in rapid succession)

* Forearm plank for 30 seconds
Repeat this cycle twice, resting for a minute between sets. You can then finish with:

* Plank jacks for 45 second (in which you place yourself in a plank position and open and close your legs like a horizontal jumping jack)

* Forearm plank for 30 seconds

* Lateral plank walks for 45 seconds (in which you place yourself in a plank position and walk your arms and legs back and forth, crab-like, across the length of your mat)
Do this final set of exercises only once. Finish with gentle stretches or walking to cool down.

If you do HIIT right, you could garner the same health benefits as an hour-long cardio session. Here is how HIIT helps you garner health benefits:

* Exercise can be crammed in limited time

Research shows that 27 minutes of HIIT performed three times per week delivers the same aerobic and anaerobic results as 60 minutes of regular cardio performed five times per week.

* More calories burned

The intensity of you efforts put into the HIIT is higher than long duration exercises, which means that your body must work harder to recover and in process, the body burns more calories. HIIT also helps in slowing down the aging process of your body.

* More energy and happiness

The short bursts of strenuous activity done during the HIIT helps boost endorphin production which gives you the ‘runner’s high’. As a result, you feel happier and more energized after your workouts.

* Increased speed and endurance

When you perform HIIT, your body begins to burn lactic acid more efficiently, boosting your energy levels. HIIT stimulates physiological changes in your body which can lead to greater speed and better stamina.

* Better heart health

Despite the fact that HIIT accelerates your heart rate, it actually helps reduce the strain on your heart. It helps make your heart stronger and more efficient by quickly increasing the heart stroke volume, this in turn reduces your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

* Boosts immune system

Interval training is known to amplify the health benefits of cardio including reducing cholesterol. This results in reduces risk of arthritis and inflammatory issues. This exercise also strengthens your immune system and helps prevent bouts of cold and flu