What is hiit class

Lasting up to an hour, there are many different types of HIIT classes that you can attend as part of our fitness class programme at Better.

Push yourself with quick, bursts of exercise, followed by short recovery periods that will keep your heart rate up. Best for: A full body workout. HIIT allows you to get a full-body workout in a short period of time while burning similar amounts of calories to a cardio workout, such as running.

Combining a variety of exercises to keeping classes fun and exciting, you'll soon get hooked on a HIIT workout. Benefits include:. Get your heart rate pumping and work out from head to toe - bring it to a Better group cycle class. Agree and close Reject all cookies Cookie Settings Our use of cookies We use essential cookies to make our site work.

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Search Better Search. HIIT classes. In addition to helping with fat loss, HIIT could help increase muscle mass in certain individuals 21 , 22 , However, the gain in muscle mass is primarily in the muscles being used the most, often the trunk and legs 16 , 21 , Some research in active individuals has failed to show higher muscle mass after HIIT programs If you are not very active, you may gain some muscle by starting HIIT but not as much as if you performed weight training.

However, it appears that HIIT can produce the same benefits in a shorter amount of time 20 , 21 , This was almost identical to the improvement in oxygen consumption in the other group in the study, who cycled continuously for 40 minutes per day, four days per week.

Once again, the total time exercising was much different between groups: minutes per week for the traditional exercise versus only 60 minutes per week of HIIT. Additional studies also demonstrate that HIIT can improve oxygen consumption 25 , High-intensity interval training can improve oxygen consumption as much as traditional endurance training, even if you only exercise about half as long.

A large amount of research indicates that it can reduce heart rate and blood pressure in overweight and obese individuals, who often have high blood pressure One study found that eight weeks of HIIT on a stationary bike decreased blood pressure as much as traditional continuous endurance training in adults with high blood pressure 7.

In this study, the endurance training group exercised four days per week for 30 minutes per day, but the HIIT group only exercised three times per week for 20 minutes per day. Some researchers have found that HIIT may even reduce blood pressure more than the frequently recommended moderate-intensity exercise However, it appears that high-intensity exercise does not typically change blood pressure in normal-weight individuals with normal blood pressure HIIT can reduce blood pressure and heart rate, primarily in overweight or obese individuals with high blood pressure.

Blood sugar can be reduced by HIIT programs lasting less than 12 weeks 20 , A summary of 50 different studies found that not only does HIIT reduce blood sugar , but it also improves insulin resistance more than traditional continuous exercise Based on this information, it is possible that high-intensity exercise is particularly beneficial for those at risk for type 2 diabetes.

In fact, some experiments specifically in individuals with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated the effectiveness of HIIT for improving blood sugar However, research in healthy individuals indicates that HIIT may be able to improve insulin resistance even more than traditional continuous exercise High-intensity interval training may be especially beneficial for those needing to reduce blood sugar and insulin resistance.

These improvements have been seen in both healthy and diabetic individuals. Then, you can experiment with different durations of exercise and recovery, or how long you are performing intense exercise and how long you are recovering. While these examples can get you started, you should modify your own routine based on your own preferences.

There are many ways to implement HIIT into your exercise routine. Experiment to find which routine is best for you. High-intensity interval training is a very efficient way to exercise, and may help you burn more calories than you would with other forms of exercise. Anyone can complete a HIIT workout.

To do HIIT simply pick one activity to go all out for 20 seconds, then follow that with 20 seconds of rest — and repeat. In order to get a full-body workout, HIIT works multiple muscle groups, while incorporating plyometrics and isometrics — in addition to bursts of cardio.

Think jumping switch lunges, plyometric push-ups, high-knee runs, and burpees. Depending on the studio, you may also use equipment, such as kettlebells, jump ropes, free weights and boxes or steps. Part of the reason HIIT is so effective is its built-in variety. The structure of a HIIT workout varies, with each session lasting a different period of time. In general, expect a period of work, followed by a period of rest, repeated across multiple sets with different moves for the duration of your workout.

One of the most common HIIT formats is Tabata — which is 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, usually performed in sets of eight. Dress in workout gear you can move and sweat in. Supportive waistbands are key, as is fabric that wicks sweat away from the body to keep you cool.