Exercise: H.I.I.T

I used to be able to do 1 hour of aerobic workout. I actually loved STEP aerobic, which was popular at the time. After aerobic, my exercise routine continued for another hour of skipping/rowing/treadmill and weight circuit training. I was as fit as a fiddle back then. That was more than 20 years ago. Now I have aged and have to be realistic with my exercise routine. In addition, I don't have the pleasure of time. I need an exercise routine which is suitable for my age, short in duration and effective way to burn fat.

So what is the type of exercise that could fulfill those criteria? I am not going to join a gym or get a personal trainer to do interval training. As I said, I have no time to go the gym. Let this blog be my motivator. I hope it will also motivate others too. After reading about the current trends in exercise, I decided that interval training is in-trend. Interval training is basically exercise which consists of activity at high intensity for a period of time followed by low intensity exercise for a period of time.

There are many websites and blogs debating about long duration cardio training versus interval training. Cardio training used to be fad. Just like fashion, trend comes and goes. The acronym is H.I.I.T which stands for high intensity interval training. HIIT is shorter in duration than cardio workout but burns 9 times more fat. It's the afterburn effect! You continue to burn calories even after the exercise.

HIIT is all about speed & intensity. Intensity is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 is no effort at all and 10 is maximum effort as if your life depends on it. The whole point is to get out of breath. However, if you are just starting out HIIT after years being a potato-couch, don't go all out. Let your body ease into pace of an interval sprint. There's a difference between pushing hard and pushing over the limit.

The 30-second workout is ideal to start with for a beginner. This is an example of a beginner interval training program.

• 3 min warm up 
• 6 sprint intervals - 30 seconds each 
• 6 rest intervals - 60 seconds each 
• 3 min warm down 
• Do the routine 3 times a week with a rest day in between each workout 
• Make sure that you stretch, warm up and warm down properly for every workout. 

This is just for starter. Once I am comfortable with this routine, I will notch up a gear by increasing to 12 repetitions. Wish me luck!