15 minutes workout that is MOST impactful: HIIT

When you are super duper busy and have no time to go to the gym, what exercise modality gets you the best results in the least amount of time?

The answer: HIIT (high-intensity-interval-training).

If you really can’t spare 30 minutes a day, start with 15...eventually work up to 20, then 30. The subtle difference will be barely noticeable and it will not disrupt your day. (this is the same strategy used to save money recommended by financial experts….if you can’t put 10% away...start with 1% and you wont feel a difference, then work up to 2% 3 months later...then 3% three months later...until you get to 10%). You will slowly start to change your lifestyle in such little ways that you wouldn’t feel a difference---but the rewards are tremendous.

Don't spend money on those expensive DVDs (who has DVD players anymore?) There are some great workouts on YOUTUBE posted for free by their owners. The video below is my favorite: 1 minute of high intensity workout, then 15 second rest only. How many rounds can you do? 10 rounds take about 13 minutes, including the introduction (which is when I stretch and warm up for a little bit).

HOW MANY ROUNDS CAN YOU DO???

DON’T WORRY, studies have shown that moderate rest isn’t necessary, a 15 second rest will suffice. Just do the best you can. Be careful, you might be so energized after just 10 rounds that you will suddenly have an hour to clean and be productive! I do this everytime I hit the gym and feel sluggish...this gets me really energized and it feels Ah-MAZING!

This study is a meta-analysis that concluded there is a higher benefit of doing of high-intensity-shorter-duration exercises, over longer-duration-less-intensity regimens. Interval training has become a widely-employed modality of exercise training in populations including young, active men and women and individuals. HIIT improves outcomes in many populations:

• just 2 weeks of HIIT improved cardiovascular risk factors in obesity [1]
• improved glycemic control in patients diabetes [2]
• improved risk factors of heart disease [3]
  
  Moreover, interval training has been reported [4] to be more enjoyable than continuous exercise despite exercising at higher intensities, which in the long run may promote greater adherence to training and on an individual level, superior maintenance of fitness level, health status, and quality of life. Even highly trained athletes can benefit from HIIT [5]

.......... DONT HAVE TIME TO DO HIIT 2-3 TIMES A WEEK? Go ahead, skip this week......

Doing HIIT every other week is just as beneficial as doing them weekly. Researchers in Norway who worked with soccer players in the six-week off-season concluded that skipping HIIT every other week is okay. Players who completed five four-minute rounds at 87 to 97 percent of their max heart rate every seven days registered a maximum volume capacity of Oxygen similar to those players who did the same every 14 days. "High-Intensity interval-training done more than once a week can fry you mentally and physically." says Dan John, a trainer in Salt Lake City. "That bogs down your other workouts, which trumps any training advantage." Keep in mind, of course, we're talking about doing intervals of 4-minutes at 87-97% of your maximum heart rate nonstop...five times. This is incredibly exhausting, and most of us do not do this. It is here, as an option, and as a reminder to us busy people out there---that there is a way.