Fit Island: Want to get fit? HIIT it!

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training and it’s what you should be doing to get fit. I know the “high-intensity” part can be a little intimidating, but intensity can be modified depending on your fitness level.

The real selling point of this type of training is that it requires less time — a lot less time! If you’re tired of grinding away on the stationary cardio equipment for hours and seeing little (if any) results, then this can revolutionize your workout.

Let’s forget about the high-intensity aspect for the moment and talk about intervals. This simply means alternating easy and not-so-easy bursts of activity. Examples include regular walking with intervals of brisk walking, fast walking with bursts of running, and running with bouts of sprinting.

When done in the right combination and intensity for your fitness level, intervals can help you get fit and stay fit. And if you’re already well-conditioned, intervals can take your fitness to a new level.

Hours of cardio in the “fat burning zone” is old-school thinking. Recent research supports interval training at any age and suggests it is most beneficial for those over 50. This has to do with what is happening at the cellular level when we exercise. The mitochondria, which provides the energy within each cell, is especially ignited by intense bouts of movement.

Researchers found that cellular decline (which is the source of aging and disease) was corrected in the cells of older adults in their study when they did interval training.

Interval training combined with a healthy diet can help facilitate weight loss. Research has shown that interval training burns more fat, and particularly abdominal fat, than other types of exercise. Due to increased fat oxidization, the body burns fat at a faster rate during HIIT and for a prolonged period after. The improvement in overall aerobic fitness produced by HIIT makes the body a better fat burner in general.

To get the most from this type of training, the bursts of intensity should make you feel like you are working outside your comfort zone. On a scale of one to 10 (with one being no activity and 10 being maximum effort) you want to be working in the eight to nine range.

But only for 30 seconds to a minute. Your recovery intervals can range from short (30 seconds to a minute) to long (until you feel sufficiently recovered to push hard again). Including a five-minute warm-up and a five-minute cool down with 20 minutes of intervals in between you can accomplish more in 30 minutes than with an hour of steady state cardio.

Progress slowly if you are not conditioned. Gauge the intensity depending on your fitness level and check with your doctor or get the help of a fitness professional before tackling any new workout protocol. A heart rate monitor can be a very useful tool as well. This workout is not limited to walking and running. It adapts well to all cardio exercise (cycling, swimming, rowing, elliptical, etc.) and can even be included in a strength-training workout.

Due to the metabolic demands of HIIT, it should only be done two to three times per week, and even one interval session per week can provide amazing benefits.

Think of HIIT as revving your cellular engines and a way to spend less time exercising with better results.