High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been growing in popularity in recent years. More and more people are becoming aware of its benefits and how it can be a great exercise to lose weight, in contrast to traditional endurance exercises. The questions that arises is how effective is it and what exactly happens within the body when we undergo these intense intervals. There is also concerns of whether a person is physically capable to perform these exercises and what are the potential injuries that can occur (Holland, 2018).
HIIT usually requires a person to perform an intense burst of alternating anaerobic exercises for 20-30 minutes and within those duration there will be short resting periods. The goal of HIIT is to get your heart and lungs working at peak capacity during these intervals (Holland, 2018). Recent studies have shown that with HIIT, a person had greater weight reduction and fat cells when they continue the exercise on a daily regimen (Roy et al., 2018). Participants of the study also found it enjoyable during these exercises (Roy et al., 2018). There has also been studies that show HIIT actually changes your body on a cellular level (Trewin et al., 2018). The study showed that HIIT help maintained healthy mitochondria which can benefit with age-related muscle problems (Trewin et al., 2018).
Overall, HIIT can be a beneficial exercise regimen. One of the concern is that it might not be for everyone. The intensity of the workout can potentially cause serious injury to a person who is not use to working out. Gradually increasing your workout and incorporating more intense regimen would probably be the best approach (Holland, 2018). What do you think? Are you up for HIIT?
Holland, Kimberly., "HIIT Workouts May Change Your Body On A Cellular Level"., October 8, 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health-news/hiit-workouts-can-change-your-body-on-a-cellular-level#Should-I-do-HIIT?
Roy, M., Williams, S. M., Brown, R. C., Meredith-Jones, K. A., Osborne, H., Jospe, M., & Taylor, R. W. (2018). High-Intensity Interval Training in the Real World. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,50(9), 1818-1826. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001642
Trewin, A. J., Parker, L., Shaw, C. S., Hiam, D., Garnham, A. P., Levinger, I., . . . Stepto, N. K. (2018). Acute HIIE elicits similar changes in human skeletal muscle mitochondrial H2O2 release, respiration and cell signaling as endurance exercise even with less work. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00096.2018
HIIT is generally not for someone just getting into exercise after being sedentary for quite some time as most of these exercises incorporate explosive movements that can cause injury to an unprepared body. Obviously, trying to push the limits and sprint as fast as possible is going increase the chance of injury when compared to a light jog. This paper by Reed and Pipe discusses various rating scales that clinicians can use to properly prescribe the proper intensity of exercise to a specific patient according to their baseline of physical fitness.
ReplyDeleteReed, J. L., & Pipe, A. L. (2016). Review: Practical Approaches to Prescribing Physical Activity and Monitoring Exercise Intensity. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 32, 514–522. https://doi-org.proxy.rvu.edu/10.1016/j.cjca.2015.12.024
I think skipping rope is the best way to practice HIIT without exposing the body to injury because it does not require explosive movements, unlike other forms of HIIT such as sprinting. It still activates all of the muscles of the body, and it is very easy to start and stop the intervals with the rope when compared to having to constantly adjust the rate of a machine such as a stairmaster or treadmill. It is also much more enjoyable, go skip like Rocky!