From someone with a full-time career, it can seem impossible to stay healthy and active. A common misconception is the belief you need to go to the gym every day for hours to see results; but if you’re a busy career professional, a full-time parent, or a student with a heavy course load, you have very little time to spare. And sitting at a desk all day and being surrounded by office lunches, catered food, and all sorts of temptations can make staying fit seemingly impossible, especially when the work keeps piling on.
Well, I have a solution for you: HIIT training!
Lately, it seems like HIIT training is being talked about everywhere! There is a reason for that. It is the most efficient and effective way to burn fat and FAST! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and the description of it is exactly how it sounds. It is a form of interval training, a cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. HIIT workouts take as little as 25-30 minutes and you can do it almost anywhere and everyone, even the busiest career professional, can take 25 minutes to be a healthier you!
HIIT blasts fat by tricking your body through short bursts of high intensity activity, (ex: 35 seconds of burpees or sprints on the treadmill) straight into another exercise with little to no rest. HIIT training burns more calories in a 20-minute workout than running mindlessly on the treadmill for an hour. Also, a benefit of it is that it doesn’t burn off your hard earned muscle mass. It actually increases the athletic look, making you look more toned and fit than ever.
When you complete a HIIT workout, your body goes into a state called “EPOC” aka the after-burn. During EPOC, the body uses oxygen to restore muscle glycogen and rebuild muscle proteins damaged during exercise. Even after a HIIT workout is over, the body will continue to use the aerobic energy pathway to replace the ATP consumed during the workout, thus enhancing the EPOC effect.
In simpler terms, your body will continue to burn calories for up to 24 hours after the workout! Boosting your metabolism to an extreme level and constantly burning fat stores for energy. It is also important to know that EPOC is influenced by the intensity of the workout, not the duration. You want to go as hard as you can during each exercise and allow yourself only very short recovery periods.
So for all of you people out there who say you are “too busy to workout or too busy to get to the gym,” a full HIIT workout can take as little as 30 minutes and can be done anywhere.
No more excuses.
Try this 20 HIIT at home. No equipment necessary. I know you’ll feel the full effects afterwards and have energy to get through the rest of your day. ***
Round 1
– Jump Squats 30 seconds
– Wide Arm Plank 1 minute
– High Knees 45 seconds
Do all 3 exercises with no break in-between, after all 3 are completed, you give yourself 30 seconds rest and repeat 2 more times.
Round 2
– Jumping Lunges 30 seconds
– Mountain Climbers 30 seconds
– Down up Planks 30 seconds
Do all 3 exercises with no break in-between, after all 3 are completed, you give yourself 30 seconds rest and repeat 2 more times.
Round 3
– Burpees 30 seconds
– 12 push ups
– V ups 35 seconds
Do all 3 exercises with no break in-between, after all 3 are completed, you give yourself 30 seconds rest and repeat 2 more times.
COOL DOWN AND STRETCH
Jordana Rae is the founder of Jordi-Fit LLC. Jordana is a certified Holistic Health Coach & Personal Trainer. She focuses on helping clients with nutrition and fitness counseling for long-term lifestyle change. You can subscribe to her website for free for updates on everything nutrition, health, wellness and fitness.
***Before experimenting with any exercises and nutrition tips posted on A Healthy Career, always consult with your physician, wellness or health practitioner.