1. We all know that life can be extremely busy. Between work, family, friends, and countless commitments, it may feel like there just isn’t much free time left over. Many of us experience that constant nagging in the back of our mind telling us that there is that one little extra thing that we really should be doing, but often choose not to because of a perceived lack of time. What is that? Working out of course! But what if there was a real way to lose fat, get fit, and not have to dedicate hours and hours to the task of working out?
2. Well, for fear of sounding like the world’s most cliché salesman, “there is!” Studies actually show that you may be wasting your time doing exercises like running on a treadmill or riding a bicycle for long amounts of time. Though these classic exercises are effective for weight loss and improving heart health, the long-time commitment makes this a non-starter for many American adults.
3. The answer actually comes in the form of kicking it up a notch, finishing your workouts in a fraction of the time to gain the same benefits. Traditional jogging or biking is what is known as “moderate-intensity continuous training,” or MICT. This means performing an exercise at a pace that you can maintain for an extended period of time. By its very nature, this type of exercise is time consuming and, let’s face it, boring. If you’re looking for the same benefits in a fraction of the time, what you really want is called, “high-intensity interval training,” or HIIT.
4. You may have heard of different programs that offer HIIT group-setting classes. While we are not here to champion any one program over the other, what is clear from the research is that the specific method is not as important as simply performing exercises which increase your heartrate to a point that you can only sustain for about 40 seconds-2 minutes, and then taking a short break and repeating this for at least 20 minutes. The key is that repeated bouts of high intensity. Researchers found that HIIT workouts required about 40 percent less time commitment to achieve the same results as MICT in body-composition changes and waist-measurement reductions.
5. So, how can you benefit from these findings? Start simple! Often, people think that they need the perfect exercise program to really see major results. Luckily, this research shows that the actual method is far less important than simply raising your heart rate (run fast, bike fast, do jumping jacks, or simply run in place!) for 40 seconds-2 minutes, taking a break for the same amount of time, and repeating this for about 20 minutes!
6. Here is a sample workout that can be completed in a short 20 minutes:
a. Warm-Up: Walk at a brisk pace for 2 minutes.
b. Minutes 2-4: Run as hard as you can! (it’s ok to slow down as you go, your heart and lungs will still be working hard!)
c. Minutes 4-6: Rest. Walk slowly and prepare to run again.
d. Minutes 6-8: Run!
e. Minutes 8:10: Walk and rest.
f. Minutes 10-12: Run!
g. Minutes 12-14: Walk and rest.
h. Minutes 14-16: Run!
i. Minutes 16-18: Walk and rest.
j. Minutes 18-20: Run!
k. Congratulations, you’ve just completed your science-backed fat busting workout in a short 20 minutes!
Alansare, A. C., Alford, K., Church, T., Jung, H. C., & Lee, S. (2018). The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on heart rate variability in physically inactive adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(7), 1508. doi:10.3390/ijerph15071508
Wewege, M., Berg, R., Keech, A., & Ward, R. E. (2017). The effects of high‐intensity interval training vs.moderate‐intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews, 18(6), 635-646. doi:10.1111/obr.12532