First of all what is HIIT?
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is a type of workout where you give all-out on
e hundred percent effort through, quick, intense, bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. Sound like fun, right?
Benefits of HIIT
-Efficiency-HIIT is great if you don't have much time to workout or you like to be more efficient in your fat burning workouts as you burn more calories and fat in a shorter amount of time.
-Lose fat, not muscle-Steady cardio is often associated with losing muscle. HIIT workouts, however, combine weight training and effectively allows dieters to preserve their muscle gain while still shedding weight.
-No/little equipment needed- HIIT workouts can be done in a multitude of ways. You can use the treadmill, row machine, stairclimber, or other traditional cardio equipment and set up a highly intense interval routine. OR you can find an open space and use bodyweight moves like high knees, jumping jacks, and plyometrics to set up a heart pumping workout.
-Adjusts to fitness level- This benefit can be applied to just about any style of workout. But the point is anyone can do HIIT style training. Just decrease or increase the intensity based on fitness level. For instance, if you are not very conditioned start with smaller work times and longer rest times.
-Good for heart health-helps keep blood flow going and heart strong. It is difficult for a lot of people to push themselves to get breathless. It is easier with HIIT because there is a rest period to look forward to. Remember to assess your fitness level and use common sense when challenging your fitness levels!
Steady state cardio is simply a cardio workout that is a continuous, steady effort, as opposed to an interval cardio workout where you vary your energy output.
There are benefits to both!
-Recovery is faster-If you are alrady doing a lot of strength training, HIIT may be too much for your body and ou may have difficulty recovering.
-HIIT is too hard- And that is ok! If you are at a beginner stage of working out, steady state cardio may be just where you need to be. If you're someone who leads a relatively sedentary lifestyle—and typically goes from sitting at a desk to sitting on your couch—adding in some form of daily cardio is a wise move. . It's OK to scale things down. And yes, you'll still see results.
-You will stick with it-If steady state cardio is something you enjoy doing or you know this is something you can do for a longer period of time. Although interval training may be superior for fat loss, you can get benefits through steady state cardio. And let's face it, if you hate interval training, it gives you one more excuse not to exercise.
-You will build up your aerobic fitness-You can still burn calories and fat with a little more time and it's great for building endurance. It will also translate to life...if you like to hike, snowshoe, or chase the kids around on the weekends, it will all get easier with some aerobic fitness in your life!
To sum it up-
Both cardio styles have benefits but first and foremost, remember the key to making exercise a part of your daily life and routine is...enjoyment. What do you like to do to get your body moving and a little (or a lot) sweaty?
Steady state cardio, HIIT, hiking, gymnastics moves, dancing your socks off...whatever it is DO IT!