Thursday 24 September 2015

Fitness Tips - HIIT

Many people want to get their bodies in better shape, and spend countless hours on exercise machines trying to do just that. The reason that some of these people do not experience success with these kind of training regimens is because often they do not know that they are going about it the wrong way.

Dr Leslie Griesdorf

When it comes to cardio, most people believe that the more you do, the more effective it is for you. This is actually a common misconception that often leads people to be stuck in a fitness rut. Doing low-intensity cardio for a long period of time can actually be detrimental to your weight loss goals, as it encourages the body to hold on to energy and conserve it in order to have it available for future exertions that it may encounter. That is why one of the most effective fat burning methods out there is HIIT, or high intensity interval training.

Studies have shown that thirty minutes of HIIT training is far more effective for burning fat than an hour of low to moderate intensity cardio. This is because the body is forced to expend excessive amounts of energy during the spikes of high intensity, and not capable of adapting because you will quickly return to a low-intensity pace afterwards. HIIT training usually consists of a period of extreme exertion, followed by a period of rest, or low-intensity cardiovascular activity. A typical HIIT program may have one minute of all-out sprinting, followed by two minutes of light jogging for thirty minutes.

Dr Leslie Griesdorf is a retired dentist who stays in shape by working out four times a week.