We know the holiday season can be even more of a struggle to FIT(ness) it in. This month, let’s focus on JUST MOVING! We know the holiday season brings lots of challenges between festivities, regular to-do’s, and more. We’re here to educate you on how to get in a workout in a time crunch without spending hours at the gym. At the end of this article, we will have you saying, "I can enjoy the holidays because I’m able to balance all the holiday season activities and staying healthy" and "I don’t need to be at the gym for a long time to make a difference."
It’s time to focus on the right priorities… #1 being YOU and your health. Spending time with family is important too - and you can balance both! Keep reading to find out the benefits and the how to’s of getting in a good meaningful workout in a limited amount of time and download our FREE 30 Minute Express Workout Book.
HIIT and Full Body Workouts
Full body HIIT workouts is time efficient and will leave you feeling accomplished is a HIIT/full body workout. HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. HIIT workouts are short bursts of intense energy followed by a low-intensity recovery period. A HIIT workout can last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, making it the perfect workout for someone with minimal time but really wants to get a great sweat on!
A HIIT workout can be done in many forms such as running, spinning, or as a circuit where you are pushing to your max. A full body workout is a great way to target all your muscle groups in one session. Rather than focusing on legs, chest, or arms - all your muscle groups are incorporated into a single workout. Both HIIT and full body workouts should be kept between 2-4 times a week depending on your fitness level. It is important to make sure you give both your mind and body time to recover.
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Why is it so effective?
Researchers are still trying to discover why HIIT improves fitness more than a consistent workout. There is one hypothesis surrounding improved VO2 max which is a measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen you use during a workout. The more you work to increase your VO2 max, the better your endurance is and the more you can push yourself during a workout. Increasing your VO2 max is similar to the concept of building muscle. You won’t build much muscle by using the same weight, you need to challenge yourself in order to build endurance. Increased VO2 max also decreases your likelihood of heart disease.
Another reason HIIT is so effective is that you can burn the same amount of calories in a 20 minute HIIT session as you would during a 50 minute workout. This is because during a HIIT workout you have a surge in epinephrine and norepinephrine which are both fight-or-flight hormones. There has been evidence that shows both of these hormones drive lipolysis (fat breakdown) and are the key factors in releasing fat from both subcutaneous and intramuscular fat stores to be used as fuel while exercising.
Increasing Your Heart Rate
Monitoring your heart rate is key during HIIT. As mentioned before HIIT is high intensity training followed by a recovery period. But how do you know when you’ve reached your peak? Using your heart rate is an easy indicator of when you’re at your maximal exertion level. You want to be at 80-95% of max HR for your high intensity periods of time which is then followed by 40-50% of max HR for recovery. Most smart watches or fitbits will measure your HR. If you don’t have a device, simply put two fingers over the pulse on your wrist, measure for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4.
To calculate your max HR you take 220 ( the max HR for humans) and subtract your age. Then to figure out the ideal range you multiply that number by the percentage. Below is an example for someone who is the age of 30.
MAX Heart Rate: 220-30= 190bmp
High intensity range
190 x .80=152bpm
190 x .95= 180bpm
Recovery period
190 x .40= 76bpm
190 x .50= 95bpm
The Best Part of HIIT
Besides the fact that HIIT is a short workout with big benefits, the other amazing thing about HIIT is that you don’t always need equipment. Your body is the best machine. Give HIIT a try with our 30 minutes or less express workouts and GET MOVING!