High Intensity Interval Training Health Benefits

High Intensity Interval Training Health Benefits

HIIT workouts generally combine short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise. Check out this article and 5 exercise HIIT workout from A-list personal trainer, Mica Von Turkovich!

You may have seen Mica von Turkovich sliding across your television in a slew of different commercials or starring in the video for country duo Dan + Shay’s smash hit ‘Tequila’. Aside from being an actress in Los Angeles, she is also a NASM certified personal trainer. Her goal is to help people find joy in exercise and feel empowered doing it. She is an environmental warrior and does her best to educate people on the importance of living an environmentally sustainable life. To hear more from Mica or for more fitness inspiration, follow her on instagram @mica_chu

Have you ever gone to the gym and wandered around aimlessly from ma- chine to machine for an hour or more but didn’t even break a sweat? Or my least favorite, been in a fitness class that seemed to be NEVER ENDING, even though in reality it was only a 45 mi- nute class? Or maybe you are too busy to even make it to a class or the gym, you have a small window of time to get a workout in and it has to be at home? Good news, I have a workout for all of you! Meet your new best friend, HIIT.

High-intensity Interval Training, most commonly known as HIIT, is an extremely popular and effective form of exercise. In fact, according to a 2019 survey conducted by The American College of Sports Medicine, HIIT training was ranked as the number one most popular fitness trend in North America. Pretty cool, but what’s all the buzz about?

HIIT is a training style in which you give one hundred percent effort throughout quick, intense bursts of cardio exercise, followed by short recovery periods. These work periods can be anywhere from 10 seconds to five minutes followed by an appropriate rest period based on the length of work. For example, you might perform at a high-in- tensity for 45 seconds and recover for 15 seconds before jumping back in. An entire HIIT workout should be no more than 30-40 minutes long for best results and proper recovery. A perfect HIIT workout for me is about 15-20 mins long!

The health benefits of HIIT are overwhelming. HIIT may help improve your cardiovascular system by increasing your VO2 max (which is your 

maximum rate of oxygen consump- tion). As well as increase your stroke volume (how much blood your heart pumps out per beat). It can boost your metabolism due to EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

EPOC boosts your metabolic rate and your body keeps burning calories for hours after a High-intensity Inter- val Training workout. The benefits of HIIT don’t end there, HIIT is good for your mind too! Research shows that High-intensity Interval training improves cognitive function and increases levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF is a protein found in the brain, essential for memory, mood regulation and used by your brain to repair and maintain bra- in cells. HIIT could help reduce stress, depression, anxiety and OCD. It sure has helped my mental clarity and mood!

Photo by @evstyle on Unsplash

Besides all of the amazing physical and mental health benefits, HIIT is a quick and convenient way to get a great workout in with zero equipment necessary. It is a simple and easy to follow form of exercise that can be crafted to fit any fitness level.

Keep in mind that your recovery is just as important as the exercise itself. This means, hydrating and eating a healthy diet to assist in your physical recovery.


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