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13 July 2017 0 Training, Exercise, Well-being
HIIT for busy mums

Half-way through school holidays and feeling the effects of extra socialising? Busy holiday schedules full of extra coffee and cake playdates can make it difficult to find time for long cardio sessions, but skipping workouts all week can derail your weight-loss efforts. With high-intensity interval training, known as HIIT, you can strip fat in minimal time – and keep your fitness plan firmly on track.

What is HIIT?

During high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, your cardio intensity varies throughout the training session. A typical HIIT workout starts with a three- to five-minute warm-up before going into the main intervals. These high-intensity bursts can last anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes, though they can be as short as 10 seconds and as long as five minutes. This pushes you into an anaerobic exercise state, which increases fat loss. For a simple routine, perform HIIT on any cardio machine, alternating one-minute high-intensity intervals with two-minute rest periods.

What are the benefits of HIIT?

The biggest benefit of HIIT is that it burns calories - FAST! Research has shown that in just two weeks of interval training, women increased their capacity to burn fat. Fast intervals recruit larger muscle fibres and make you work harder, leading to an increased calorie burn. The extra demand on your body also means you carry on burning fat after your session ends.

How often should I do a HIIT workout?

We recommend a minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous cardio each week for maintaining general health and well-being, though weight loss might require more. HIIT meets the vigorous quota. Aim for three 25-minute sessions, with a day of rest in between, or try five shorter, more intense 15-minute sessions each week. You shouldn't need any other cardio on top of this, though for best results, add two total-body strength-training sessions per week.

Where can I do HIIT workouts?

Any gym cardio machine works well for high-intensity intervals, though if you fancy a change of scenery go for hill sprints or sprints on a running track, take your bike for a spin or hit the pool for some swimming intervals. You can also combine interval training with a weights workout in a body-weight circuit. Include exercises such as squats, push-ups, lunges, planks and jumps -- work hard for one minute then take it steadier for two.

Five 15 minutes HIIT workouts are easy to slip into your daily routine, especially if you get the kids involved! Get them to perform the exercises with you and if they get tired, get them to time you instead.

 

If you would like any help putting together a HIIT program, call us at Move PTS today.

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