High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sheds more fat and burns higher calories in less time. In addition it boosts your cardiovascular health, improves fitness level, endurance and stamina.
HIIT workouts benefits are in no way less than the longer, moderate workouts. The researchers have found that short, intense interval exercise routine benefits are equal or even better as compared to those from conventional workout routines.
High-intensity interval training is kind of ideal for the busy schedule people – you don’t need to go to a gym for doing HIIT – it can be done at home. You just need about a 20 to 30 minute workout.
If for you time is every thing, it’s the perfect way to achieve the most from short cycles of intense working out. If you have never done HIIT before, read on here to find out how to get started with “HIIT For Beginners At Home” – safely, without injuring yourself. 🙂
How To Start HIIT For Beginners?
Although HIIT is an intense technique to work out, the good news is that you can adjust its intensity level according to your fitness level. If you are a beginner, even walking intervals can be used to introduce you to this type of training – gradually building up your strength, stamina and endurance to enable you to handle greater intensity training over time.
Basically a high-intensity interval-training program entails a warm up, followed by a few bouts of intense activity with short rest breaks or low intense activities in between.
# Step 1
Pick A Type Of Workout
The first step is to choose a type of workout that you like doing.
The activity could be sprinting, swimming, cycling, or a body-weight exercises.
Depending upon your fitness level, the bursts of activity can be as short as 20 seconds at a time, and as long as at full intensity level between 1 to 4 minutes before you take a short break. Then you repeat the cycle.
# Step 2
Warm Up Properly
When you do any high intensity workout without warming up your body, you face a risk of injuring yourself. And that doesn’t mean just stretching quickly or touching your toes.
To get the best results you should mainly warm up the muscles that you are going to use. For example if you plan to sprint then you don’t need to focus on shoulders. Or if the intended intensive activity is swimming then you should not neglect your back.
Step # 3
Intensive Part Of HIIT
After the warm up, your muscles will get ready to work. That’s when you should start the HIIT portion of your chosen program that is any one or more of these: Upper body, lower body, and/or core exercises.
There are a number of pre-designed HIIT workout programs available online that you can try. Or you can design your own “HIIT For Beginners At Home” routine involving workouts such as circuits of body-weight exercises, or using weights or kettlebells.
The basic principle is that for HIIT you need to work out at close to full-exertion level for short periods of time instead of doing longer duration workouts at more moderate – 50 to 70% of full-on intensity.
HIIT workouts can provide greater benefits if you do them a few times a week, preferably balanced in between other longer workouts.
But the best interval training for beginners would be involving those types of exercises that they like doing consistently. Design a program that you like enough to do on a regular basis (3 to 4 times a week), that will benefit you the most over time.
Tips
(i) Don’t Push Too Hard: When doing HIIT workout first time, don’t push yourself too hard. Also when you do any new type of activity, make sure to start at a beginner level, especially when you haven’t been working out regularly. Don’t choose something, which is too difficult for you to do in its proper form using the right technique. Start with something simple and work your way up to harder activities and programs so as to avoid injuring yourself. Aim for completing the exercises involved in your HIIT program in their proper forms and with right techniques.
(ii) Listen To Your Body: Although HIIT basically means you have to push yourself, but remember that you don’t have to cross the threshold to sore your muscles to such an extent that you miss your next workout. If you feel a sudden twinge or sharp pain, stop immediately and address the situation before you continue.
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