Should I run at a steady pace for 30 minutes for weight loss? Or does sprinting burn more fat? Is High-intensity interval training better than steady-state cardio for losing weight? These are just some of the questions people ask when embarking on a fitness journey. The answer to these questions isn’t as straightforward as many would like. Below, we take a look at the benefits of HIIT cardio and how you can incorporate it into your fitness routine for the best results.
What are the Benefits of Cardio?
Cardio is central to any weight loss exercise program. However, there are many misconceptions about how intense it should be and how long a workout should be to experience the benefits of exercise. Cardio helps to strengthen the muscles, improve your cardiovascular health and cause your body to burn fat to produce energy. However, finding the right approach is important to ensure you get the most out of each session.
In determining which approach would work best for you, it is important to consider various factors:
Aerobic exercises
These are exercises that are performed at low intensity and at a steady pace for long periods, such as jogging, swimming, and cycling. The muscles get enough oxygen during these workouts.
Anaerobic exercises
These are performed at high intensity. They demand more work from the muscles. Your heart rate increases to a high level to pump more blood around the body. However, oxygen supply to the muscles isn’t enough during the period of intense workout. The muscles, therefore, shift to a state of working with energy sources that don’t require oxygen (anaerobic).
HIIT cardio is mainly composed of short bursts for anaerobic exercises. They may include short sprints or short bursts of intense strength training. You’ll feel a burn after these short bursts. This burn is caused by the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid is a by-product of the anaerobic energy-producing activities in your muscles. When you stop and are able to take a breath, more oxygen is supplied to the muscles, which helps break down lactic acid.
Our bodies aren’t able to keep up with the intense exercises for more than 3 minutes at a time. You will otherwise have more lactic acid in your body than you can burn off. This is why limiting the bursts of exercise to 1 to 3 minutes is advised.
Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training
If it hurts so much, is it really worth it? Admittedly, HIIT workouts can be brutal. Your heart will beat hard, and you will be out of breath. Your muscles will ache, and your heart will sink at the thought of having to go for another round. But if you want the best results from your workout sessions, you should incorporate some of these intense sessions. Here’s why:
Burn more fat for longer
One of the biggest benefits of these workouts is that you will burn more for longer. Your heartbeat is elevated during the activities and for a long time after completing the workout. This means you will continue to burn calories long after the actual workout (afterburn effect). Some studies even show that you may burn more after the workout than during the actual workout.
It’s an efficient use of your time
Let’s face it, many of us have busy lives. Unless you’re a gym instructor or a professional athlete, you probably don’t have the time to spend hours in the gym to reach your fitness goals. Working out at high intensity allows you to burn up to 70 percent more calories in half the time that you would with steady-state cardio. This is not to mention the additional calories you will burn during the day as a result of the afterburn effect.
Improved metabolic flexibility
Engaging in short bursts of intense exercises forces your body to switch between anaerobic and aerobic energy production. As you adapt to this, your body becomes more efficient at burning anaerobic sources of fuel such as fat. Your body not only becomes a fat-burning machine but will also be better able to deliver bursts of energy much faster. You will, as a result, be better able to move faster, e.g., when sprinting.
Are you ready to take your cardio sessions to a whole new level? Contact Zenrock Fitness and schedule a session with a fitness trainer. We’ll design a workout program tailored to meet your needs and help you reach your fitness goals more efficiently.
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