Is it time to give HIIT a go?
- buafit
- Feb 6, 2019
- 2 min read
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time to meet your new best friend. The king of the cardio workouts: High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short. This highly effective form of working out can be intense (obviously) and is not for the faint hearted, but for those up to the challenge you’ll reap a whole load of rewards. Here’s why you should consider incorporating HIIT as part of your fitness regime…
You’ll Burn Fat, and Fast
Who said you need to spend hours grafting away each day in the gym to see results? HIIT is the ideal workout for those of you looking to make a change but with a limited amount of workout time at your disposal. Short intervals of extremely high-intensity exercise demands huge amounts of oxygen during both the workout and recovery periods, meaning you’ll burn fat at a much faster rate than with your regular workout. To put things in to perspective, studies have shown that 15 minutes of HIIT burns more calories than one hour of jogging. Not bad, right?
You’ll Increase Your Metabolism
The benefits of HIIT don’t just stop when you finish working out, one of the great things about this form of exercise is the triggering of a reaction called Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC for short. Studies have found that the effects of EPOC and its resulting metabolism increase can last for up to 36 hours post-workout, meaning you’ll be burning extra calories during rest for a day-and-a-half following your HIIT session.
You Can Do It Anywhere!
You know how much we love an outdoor workout here at Bua Fit, and the great thing about HIIT is that it requires absolutely no equipment, meaning you can take your training session anywhere! Any workout that gets your heart rate up quickly, whether that’s sprinting, jumping jacks or crunches should do just the trick. Check out our previous blog post on London’s best workout-friendly parks for a little location inspiration too!
It’s a Real Challenge
There’s no slacking when it comes to HIIT. The workouts will take your body to the edge of its abilities in a short space of time, often taking everything you’ve got to power on through to the end of the session. So with that in mind, if you love a REAL challenge and if you get your kicks from pushing yourself to your limits then there’s a chance that HIIT could be just the workout for you.
