Doing a Gazillion meters not cutting it? Try HIIT

HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training

Takes half the time as usual endurance training but burns 2 to 3 times more calories

What is it?

·         Involves short burst of effort 80 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate

·         Followed by short periods of rest

·         Usually in 4 to 10 repetitions (ie 50 metre  sprints on 1 minute)

·         Endurance training is a predictable pace called ’steady state’ cardio where your body adapts to the speed and conserves energy whereas HIIT ( with bursts of all out and varied pace) keeps body from entering a comfort zone

Benefits

·         Gains in muscle endurance and exercise performance similar to that of lengthier endurance training

·         Increases amount of oxygen to muscles making blood vessels work more efficiently lowering risk of heart attack and stroke

·         Produces ‘afterburn effect’ – a metabolic boost that makes the body  expend a high number of calories for hours after workout as well as during workout