Enough with the hour-long gym slogs! You
only need five minutes of exercise to burn fat and get super-fit, according to
the latest fitness trend. Just be prepared to sweat!
What if we told you that you could get stronger,
fitter and slimmer in the same time it normally takes for a post-gym shower?
You’d better believe it, because the latest
fitness research quashes everything you thought you knew about the rules of
working out. Half an hour three times a week? Long, moderate-intensity workouts
to slim down and get fit? All out the window, thanks to the discovery that five
minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or, as we like to call it,
fitness snacking, can have the same strength and toning benefits as a workout
six times longer. Just think what that could do for your motivation, your
fitness, your body…
Can
you really get fit in five minutes?
But what exactly is HIIT? In a nutshell,
speed work. You alternate between bursts of fast and slow intensity – for less
than 20 minutes overall. A study by Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University found
that performing just four 30-second all-out sprints on an exercise bike two or
three times a week can reduce blood sugar levels, improve insulin function and
reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, a Canadian study
discovered that 20 seconds of full-pelt pedaling, followed by four minutes’
rest, repeated four to six times, resulted in the same aerobic fitness
improvements as slogging through 90 to 120-minute bike workouts. No contest,
right?
And the benefits don’t end there. ‘HIIT is
a fantastic way to lose weight because, unlike endurance workouts where you’re
working out for long periods (think marathon trraining),it increase lean muscle
mass and burns fat even when you’ve finished, so your body looks trim and
defined in quick-smart time’, says Zest’s fitness expert and celebrity trainer
Jane Wake. Indeed, studies show it burns nine times more fat than similar
cardio workouts. ‘Plus, it boosts general fitness, which is invaluable for any
other exercise you might do’, she adds.
HIIT
is a fantastic way to lose weight
So, faster, fitter, stronger – is there a
catch? Well it’s fair to say that HIIT isn’t for the faint-hearted or the
unfit. ‘HIIT workouts – such as Tabata sprints (what those crazy-fit people you
see jumping on and off super-fast treadmills are up to) – are designed to pull
your body out of its comfort zone,’ says Jane. They might be over very quickly
but they’re painful and punishing. ‘Yes, they’ll save you sometime,’ she adds,
‘but don’t expect an easy ride. Nausea, discomfort and muscle burn are all
common side effects of this type of training because you’re pushing your body’s
cardiovascular and metabolic systems to the limit. So, if you’re going to
attempt HIIT, you need to start from a bit base.’
That’s not to say that only the super-fit
can have a go, though. ‘The theory is that the longer the interval, the lower
the intensity is going to be and the lower the rewards,’ says Jane. ‘But
research shows that even those raise your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours
afterwards. If you’re starting from a more basic level of fitness, try
two-minute intervals: work as hard as you can for two minutes, then recover for
two, and repeat for at least six rounds.’
As you get fitter, you can begin to reduce
the intervals of effort and to reduce the intervals of effort and recovery down
to 90 seconds, then 60,and then 30 as you increase the effort. Eventually, for
a true HIIT-style workout, you need to make your rest times shorter than your
hard intervals – you’ll find that the fitter you get, the quicker you’ll
recover. Although you should be working as hard as you can, the key is to
listen to your body and what it can cope with.
And remember, with fitness snacking, not
having time to exercise is no longer an excuse.
Zest
tip
Remember, the whole point of HIIT is that
you give it your all – it’s a tough workout, so expect to feel totally spent
afterwards.
Zest
tip
To avoid injury, make like an athlete and
allow time for a proper warm-up – a 100m sprinter warms up for over an hour
before that 10-second run.
5 Minutes To Fit
On
Foot
This works equally well on the treadmill or
pavement. Warm-up for 5 minutes with a brisk walk.
o
Sprint for 30 seconds.
o
Walk for 20 seconds.
o
Repeat 6 times.
o
As you get fitter, reduce your sprint to 20
seconds and your rest to 10 for a traditional Tabata sprint workout.
With
Weights
‘Weight-based HIIT workouts are all about
power,’ says Jane. ‘So choose whole-body moves and aim to heavier weights than
you would normally. Make sure that your technique is spot-on before you start.
Do as many moves as you can for each 20 seconds.’
o
Wood-chops for 20 seconds.
o
Rest for 10 seconds.
o
Kettlebell swings for 20 seconds.
o
Rest for 10 seconds.
o
Medicine ball squats for 20 seconds.
o
Rest 10 for seconds.
o
Rotational lunges with medicine ball for 20
seconds.
o
Rest 10 seconds.
o
Repeat 3 to 5 times.
By
Bike
Choose a moderate hill or, if you’re using
a stationary bike, add resistance to simulate gradient.
o
Warm up for 5 minutes.
o
Attack the hill at full-speed and intensity.
o
Cycle slowly downhill.
o
Repeat for between 5 and 15 minutes, as long as
your fitness allows.
