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HIIT refers to high-intensity interval training. It’s a highly effective form of exercise because it keeps your body guessing. What’s coming next? Slow cardio, fast cardio, strength training, lower body, upper body, cardiovascular challenges, balance or core work?
High intensity refers to moving at an increased pace and exertion. Think of sprinting instead of running, or doing jump squats instead of regular squats. In a workout full of these types of moves, you will have little to no rest in between exercises. Interval training refers to alternating between movements that require different speeds or degrees of effort. Think of walking for one block then running for a second block or doing 10 squats and then 10 pushups.
Both high intensity and interval training come with impressive health benefits, including speeding up the metabolism, building muscle, burning fat, and increasing energy and cardiovascular endurance. These types of workouts not only burn more calories while you’re exercising but it creates the “after-burn effect,” which means you burn more calories at rest once the workout is complete.
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31-day HIIT workout
When we think about HIIT workouts, high-impact exercises come to mind. And while jumps and explosive movements do increase calorie burn, muscle strength and mobility, these high-impact movements don’t need to be included in your workout for it to be considered high intensity. If you have knee, hip or joint pain in general, you should opt for the low-impact variations to take pressure off your joints. That’s why this workout plan includes both
