HIIT. Some of you may already incorporate these classes into your weekly exercise regime. Some of you may be staring at your screen wondering what I’m talking about.
As an instructor, I often get questions from clients wanting to learn more about HIIT. What is it? What does it involve? What do I wear? (Yes, fashion is important). Don’t stress, I’m here to answer your hard-HIITting questions (pun intended) and show you why adding these classes into your weekly schedule can help you in achieving your health and fitness goals.
What is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT is a cardio-based form of exercise that aims to burn fat, increase muscle tone and strength, and boost your overall fitness levels in a short period of time. HIIT classes provide so many benefits for the body, both physically and mentally.
What’s involved?
HIIT consists of an exercise performed at a high intensity followed by a shorter period of rest or active recovery. This spikes the heart rate during activity before allowing you to recover in your rest period. Exercises can be performed anywhere from 20 to 90 seconds. Shorter ‘work’ periods will allow your body to work at a higher intensity while longer ‘work’ periods will require some level of endurance to sustain effort and energy for the required time.
How often should I do HIIT classes?
This varies from person to person. Your overall fitness levels and how well your body can recover between sessions will impact how often you should be doing a HIIT class. It is recommended to do no more than 3 HIIT classes per week as high intensity exercise does place the body under stress and adequate recovery time is necessary, especially if this type of activity is new to you. Adding one HIIT class into your weekly schedule is a good place to start as you can always add more classes in as your fitness levels increase.
What do I wear/need to bring?
When coming to a HIIT class, make sure you wear supportive running shoes and comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting a little sweaty in. Always bring a water bottle to keep you well hydrated during and after class. This ensures that any fluid lost through sweat during activity is replenished. Lastly, don’t forget a towel (you’ll need it).
Why should I incorporate HIIT classes into my exercise regime?
We’ve all heard about the many physical benefits that HIIT classes can provide for us, in particular, to our cardiovascular system. However, these classes are also beneficial for our mental, emotional, and cognitive health too!
Benefits your Mental Health
Physical activity is beneficial for your mental and emotional health and improve your stress levels. There is evidence to suggest that regular HIIT classes can increase dopamine and serotonin levels in the body. These neurotransmitters act as hormones in the body and are involved in many things such as regulating our mood, appetite, sleep cycle and processing movements within the body.
Improved brain function
There has been increasing research into how regular participation in aerobic exercise can benefit the overall health of your brain. The number of people being diagnosed with Dementia and Alzheimer’s is increasing, therefore, prevention at an earlier age is key. Recent studies have found that engaging in aerobic exercise such as HIIT, increases blood flow to the brain and may have the potential to slow down the onset of these conditions. While more research is required, it’s encouraging to know that engaging in HIIT classes now can benefit your overall long-term health.
It’s Fun!
Most importantly, HIIT classes are fun! You may not think that at the time, but completing a HIIT class feels really rewarding. Lots of clients will bring a friend or family member to class with them to workout together. Here at PPF, a lot of our HIIT clients attend regular classes throughout the week, with many new friendships being formed. For all of the competitive people out there, working alongside someone else can help you stay motivated during the class!
More than just burpees:
For some strange reason I always get asked if burpees are included in HIIT classes (they’re not that bad, I promise). Sometimes you may have to suffer through some burpees. However, a good HIIT instructor will make sure that there is a variety of exercises in their classes that target different muscle groups.
It’s also important to be working at different intensities during the class too! Changing the intensity of the workout can be done by adding resistance (e.g. weights, resistance bands) or by altering the speed in which the exercise is performed. It’s important to remember to work to your own ability and focus on your technique throughout the exercises. Our instructors at PPF will often provide a low impact option for many HIIT exercises (burpees included).
Injuries/Chronic Illness/Pregnancy:
HIIT classes can be done if you have an injury, chronic illness or if you are pregnant. HOWEVER, it is important to discuss this with a healthcare professional and be medically cleared (whether this is with your GP or physiotherapist) prior to coming to HIIT classes. This ensures that you are maintaining the safety and wellbeing of yourself (and your baby if you’re pregnant). Be sure to let your instructor know prior to class so that we can modify any exercises if needed and keep a closer eye on you during the class.
HIIT is a great form of exercise that benefits your whole body. Incorporating a HIIT class into your weekly exercise schedule will be beneficial in achieving your health and fitness goals. So next time you’re booking your weekly PPF classes, why not add a HIIT class into your schedule? It’s hard work, but I guarantee you’ll enjoy every minute of it!
Interested in learning more about HIIT? Read our tips forgetting the most out of your workouts here.
Wanting to try a HIIT class from home? Access to our online studio can be found here.
