No Pain No Gain: The Benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training/Exercise
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can significantly improve your physical abilities in a number of ways. In fact, regular HIIT training is a great way to prepare your body for taking on the toughest and muddiest races on the planet. So let’s break down the benefits of HIIT and how exactly it increases athletic performance in different ways.
CONTINUE BURNING CALORIES AFTER WORKING OUT
Given the popularity of HIIT in the last decade, its obvious time-saving benefits are well known. What you might not be aware of is the fact that HIIT is scientifically proven to increase caloric expenditure not just during workouts, but hours after working out as well. This is why compared to continuous and lower-intensity exercises, the total calories burned by doing HIIT is much higher even in the long run. The way HIIT boosts caloric expenditure is actually one of the main reason why well-known experts in physiology careers recommend it for weight loss.
IT’S EASIER TO COMMIT TO COMPARED TO LOW-INTENSITY EXERCISE
Would you rather do as many sit-ups as you can in one minute or do 50 sit-ups over an hour? The quick and intense nature of HIIT routines makes them infinitely more enjoyable and thus easier to commit to compared to aerobic or low-intensity routines. HIIT courses also often involve lots of obstacle work, lifting a variety of weights, and creative movements. And considering the growing hype surrounding HIIT exercises, they’re bound to get more creative and fun in the future.
EXPONENTIAL BENEFITS TO ENDURANCE
HIIT has been proven to improve V̇O₂ max, which is a calculation of the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can actually use. University health researchers have determined that not only is V̇O₂ max an overall great determinant of overall health, but also that HIIT training can greatly improve this measure of endurance. In general, better V̇O₂ max translates to higher aerobic fitness, an improved ability to tolerate physical pain, and better heart health – which brings us to our next point.
GAIN LONG-TERM DISEASE RESISTANCE MORE EFFICIENTLY
All things considered, HIIT is a more efficient way of burning calories and improving heart health compared to regular forms of exercise. If your mind and body can handle regular high-intensity exercise routines, you will soon enjoy its long-term health benefits such as a lower heart rate, blood pressure, and body fat. In turn, this can protect you from heart and blood pressure-related diseases, and may even improve insulin sensitivity in some.
These benefits are becoming increasingly crucial, considering the glaring shortage of workers in the American healthcare industry. In fact, careers in nursing particularly in public health, oncology, mental health, and critical care are soaring in popularity precisely because of this shortage. And if you want to avoid contributing to this looming shortage and the demand for nurses, doctors, and other health workers, HIIT can help you strive to become much healthier and fight off any diseases. And this has never been more important as now due to the current global health crisis.
Furthermore, as your endurance and physical ability improve due to HIIT, you will be able to more consistently commit not just to HIIT but other forms of athletic activity as well. While HIIT is not for everyone, the benefits for those that enjoy and do it regularly cannot be denied.