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Fitness Tips

3 Promising Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

We all know the importance of getting exercise. However, very few of us get the recommended amount. 

In fact, it’s estimated that 80 percent of Americans don’t get enough exercise. 

While there are a lot of excuses people make up for not getting enough exercise, one of the main excuses people make is that they don’t have enough time

If you feel like you don’t have enough time to squeeze exercise into your schedule, we’ve got good news for you. 

One type of exercise, known as high-intensity interval training, allows you to reap all the benefits of traditional exercise in one-third of the time. 

Read on to learn more about the benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). 

What is High-Intensity Interval Training? 

First things first, what exactly is high-intensity interval training?

HIIT involves alternating short bursts of intense exercise with short periods of low-intensity recovery. 

Typically, these workouts last between 10 and 30 minutes. 

The exercises you perform during these 10 to 30 minutes can vary. The intense periods of exercise may involve jump roping, box jumping, burpees, biking, sprinting, or running hills. 

Typically, you’ll engage in the intense burst of exercise for about 30 seconds and then rest for one minute to two minutes. 

Then, you’ll repeat this 4 to 6 times for a full workout. 

In order for HIIT to be as effective as possible, it’s important that you go as hard as you can during the short bursts of intense exercise. 

The Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training

Now that you know what HIIT is, let’s talk about its main benefits. These include:

1. Burn Tons of Calories 

If you’re looking to burn a lot of calories in a short period of time, HIIT is the answer. 

In fact, one study compared the calorie-burning between HIIT, running, biking, and weight training. 

Researchers found that 30 minutes of HIIT burned 25 to 30 percent more calories than all other forms of exercise.

In this study, participants were putting forth maximum effort for 20 seconds and then resting for 40 seconds. This means that they were only exercising their hardest for ten minutes and still they burned way more calories than the other exercisers! 

2. Increase Your Metabolic Rate 

Another major benefit of HIIT is that it can increase your metabolic rate and help you burn calories for hours after you’re done exercising. 

In fact, one study even found that HIIT can increase your metabolism after exercise even more so than running or weight lifting. 

So, if you’re looking to burn calories throughout the day, HIIT is the answer. 

3. Lose Fat and Build Muscle 

Losing fat and building muscle at the same time can be incredibly hard to do. But, HIIT may be the exercise that can help you kill two birds with one stone. 

In fact, one study found that people who performed HIIT exercises three times per week without any changes to their diet lost 4.4 pounds in 12 weeks. 

In terms of muscle building, researchers found that HIIT exercises can help certain exercisers gain muscle mass, particularly in the glutes and legs. 

Are You Ready to Try HIIT? 

As you can see, the benefits of high-intensity interval training are pretty stellar. 

If you’re in the Las Vegas area and are looking to try a high-intensity workout but aren’t sure where to start, be sure to check out our body burn class