insideKENT Magazine Issue 87 - June 2019 | Page 113

HIIT CAN BE MODIFIED FOR
PEOPLE OF ALL FITNESS
LEVELS AND FOR PEOPLE WITH
VARIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS
INCLUDING EXCESS WEIGHT
AND DIABETES...
heavy-duty and efficient workout without slogging
it out for hours in the gym, saving yourself a
hefty monthly membership along the way. If you
prefer the gym setting and the motivation that
group exercise provides, however, almost all
reputable gyms now offer HIIT classes as part of
their class timetable.
HIIT can be modified for people of all fitness levels
and for people with various medical conditions
including excess weight and diabetes, and workouts
can be performed using various methods of exercise
including bodyweight only exercises (burpees, jump
squats, jumping lunges etc.), strength exercises using
dumbbells, cycling, walking, swimming, or running.
One of the very best things about HIIT is that you
can use its work-to-rest ratio formula with basically
any form of exercise. With running, for example, a
HIIT programme will usually involve sprinting at
your maximum pace for 30 seconds then jogging
for a minute repeated five to ten times. The most
popular method is exercising for three of four rounds
of 20-second intervals followed by 10 seconds of rest
in between each round and a longer 20-second rest
between separate intervals.
As is pretty clear, HIIT workouts are more exhaustive
than traditional steady-state endurance workouts,
so a longer recovery period is often needed. If you
are going to start HIIT workouts and haven’t done
anything similar before, or are just starting out on
your fitness journey, it’s a good idea to start with
one beginner HIIT training workout per week and
then, when you feel comfortable with the format
and feel ready to step up the challenge, add a second
HIIT workout during the week.
that you perform HIIT every day, but it’s perfectly
fine to build up to three or four HIIT workouts
per week.
As long as you’re giving it everything you’ve got and
you’ve learned to perform each exercise safely
through practice, less is most definitely more!
Where should I start?
Check out www.fitnessblender.com for a huge
library of free HIIT workouts that’s updated
with fresh workouts weekly. This workout is a
perfect place to start – www.fitnessblender.com/
videos/body-firming-hiit-workout-for-beginners-
beginner-hiit-home-workout-routine.
Self-care and awareness of your limits is essential
when embarking on a programme of HIIT – make
sure you spread out your workouts and never do
them on back-to-back days. The body has to heal
after this type of training, so it’s not recommended
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