It’s been almost 2 years since I first wrote about high intensity interval training (HIIT), yet even after all this time and my fitness adventures, it remains one of my favourite forms of training. After completing an exhausting session recently around the canals of Little Venice, I felt I had to share HIIT’s supreme benefits with you once again! If you’re time-pressed, have a short attention span, want to toast fat, increase tone, and build stamina you can draw upon at a moments notice, read on… (MORE)
1) WHAT IS HIIT?At its core, HIIT involves switching between intensely focussed bursts of activity and relatively calm motion – the continuous motion keeps the heart rate elevated, which is key. Ultimately, you’ll set the level, but the most critical point is that you push into the your dreaded anaerobic zone. Be sure to listen to your body; if you’ve not trained for some time, you’ll likely find that your version of ‘interval training’ involves alternating between power walking and jogging. Others will manage to sprint, and then sprint faster. Finding your level and then slightly exceeding it is the whole point of HIIT, for me.
2) BUT WHY DO HIIT IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Many people find never-ending treadmill expeditions to be dreary. For those people, HIIT is the answer! 15 minutes is all you need to test your limits – you save time, burn more calories quicker, maintain your muscle mass whilst toasting fat layers, and you stimulate the production of human growth hormone (HGH) ( which will help to increase your after-exercise calorie burn further, as well as aid in recovery)! You don’t need a gym membership, as it can literally be done anywhere, and you don’t need any equipment. But above all else, this heart-healthy session will push you into that dreaded anaerobic zone, which will leaving you huffing and puffing – most likely not for more!
3) MY HIIT WORKOUT?
I chose a route which was a loop around a particularly beautiful stretch of the waterway; I did my explosive sprint portion of the run for 30 seconds running along the bank of the canal, and then spent 60 seconds lightly jogging over the bridge to the other side of the canal and back round the loop. I repeated that 10 times, and that was my 15 minutes, done! What’s amazing is that the super-frosty cold weather just recedes into the back of your thought process whilst you concentrate on giving it everything in the sprints! I would love to hear what you guys think about in those seconds when all you want to do is give up. For me, it’s definitely cupcakes – a mountain of them!
WEARING:
For the photos in this post, Forever 21 very kindly kitted me out in my outfit of choice. I purposely styled a look which could be bought for under £50 (it was £44.50 in the end!), as I think dressing well for your workouts shouldn’t involve exhausting your wallet – just your body ;)
JACKET: Reflective Trimmed Windbreaker – £22.00TOP: Faux Leather-paneled Workout Top – £9.00
LEGGINGS: Colourblocked Workout Capris – £13.50
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