This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Celeste MacMurray. Find her on Instagram at @clsmsanchezx. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In the health and fitness sphere, there’s always talk about the best kinds of workouts, methods and techniques to get into shape and stay active. HIIT workouts have become the newest recommendation in fitness due to just how much they get you sweating and the countless results people swear by. You may be wondering, are HIIT workouts good for you? There’s been so much buzz about them, but you may be unsure about what they really entail. HIIT has been popular for a few years now due to its constant praises and results, a method we are going to look into today.
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, and intensity is definitely the defining factor of these workouts. HIIT is defined by its short bursts of intense workouts followed by a rest period then back into the workout. The key is that HIIT raises your heart rate, and you are supposed to perform at your fullest before each interval break. Depending on your needs and what suits you best, here are different types of HIIT you can try, some that can be done at the gym, at-home ones, cardio HIIT and bodyweight HIIT, for example.
Burning calories and losing fat are the benefits mentioned the most when talking about HIIT, but you will find that there are way more than that. Some of the benefits associated with HIIT are lowering blood sugar, higher metabolic rates after working out, burning high amounts of calories, gaining and maintaining muscle and reducing blood sugar.
If you’re worried about any risks that may come from HIIT, the only ones that really exist can come from working out unsafely or irresponsibly. It is important to keep in mind your abilities, as immediately jumping into highly intense HIIT workouts without building up to it first can be harmful for you. Doing more than 30 to 40 minutes a week of HIIT is also not recommended as HIIT requires raising your heart rate for each workout. It is advised that you consult whatever professionals necessary to safely workout while being mindful of your health.
I’ve been trying HIIT workouts for the past two to three months in addition to my usual routines, and I have to say that it’s something I’ve enjoyed. For some background, I’ve always been a fairly active person both in sports and when it comes to working out, so I felt like HIIT was something I could start trying, but within reason for myself. Before I started doing these workouts, I kept in mind what my goals were and what I felt I was capable of. I found online workouts to try, and while I could have done a ten minute program, I wanted to challenge myself. I opted for fifteen minutes instead because I knew anything more than that would actually be too challenging for me. Personally, I prefer to do full body HIIT workouts, and I do one HIIT workout in addition to whatever I’m focusing on for the day. The reason I chose a full body workout was because I wanted to do a workout that would target each part of my body and for the cardio it provided.
There was definitely an adjustment period when I first started trying HIIT workouts, but over time it started to get better. I was definitely sore the next day, but I was still excited to try again. The only thing that has not changed about my HIIT workouts is just how much I sweat. I might even argue that I sweat now more than I did before, but either way I still think it’s worth it. I feel that my HIIT workout in combination with my other workouts really heralded a lot of results for me. After doing HIIT for these past few months, I feel I’ve gained more mobility, strength and stamina.
This is what worked for me personally and in my experience, but it is different for everyone. If you want to try HIIT, keep in mind your goals, abilities and limitations as these are all important for deciding your course of action. It’s also important to keep your health and safety in mind as well. Remember to also stay hydrated and to stretch beforehand to avoid injury.
What are your thoughts on HIIT workouts? Would you recommend them to others? Let us know what you think!
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