Is HIIT the best form of exercise to get results??
"Is HIIT the best form of exercise?"
It’s a question that hits our inbox on the regular!
Here’s the answer is...
It totally depends…
HIIT involves short bursts of very intense and often high impact exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery periods typically lasting between 10 - 45 minutes.
If you have just had a baby, if you have spent the last 3 years doing little to no exercise, if you have pelvic floor dysfunction, if you are really stressed, have back pain or knee pain then HIIT is in most circumstances….The WORST form of exercise for you.
If you have recently had a baby majority of HIIT exercises will cause too much intra abdominal pressure onto your core and pelvic floor, if you have PF trouble this will make things worse. (No thanks!)
If you have done little to no exercise for sometime then chances are HIIT will be too hard, unenjoyable and unsustainable. (We don't want that!)
If you have back or knee pain then the impact could make your injuries worse. :(
If you suffer from stress and anxiety then HIIT could be further impacting this as your body releases cortisol a stress hormone when you perform HIIT causing your body to put up a stress response. (Another blog coming on this particular topic soon! Coz it's so important!)
On the other hand if you have a great base level of fitness and strength then HIIT could be FANTASTIC!
HIIT workouts are an awesome way to get major burn fast, they are great for people that are time poor and are a great way to increase muscle mass!
HIIT absolutely has its place but......
HIIT should not be the only thing that you do!
No matter who you are or how fit you are.
If you want results you need to balance things out.
Yin to the yang type thing.
HIIT is not the be all and end all.
For quiet a few years it has been positioned that way but it's not.
Mobility, stretching, deep core work and strength work is so important.
As is variety!
In any training programme if you want to feel your best and get max results then you need variety!!
Doing the same workout or style of workout consistency will cause your body to plato as the muscles get used to the exact same movements.
Bottom line...
Ultimately HIIT can be a good addition to your weekly sessions but the key word here is addition.
It is also not the best form of exercise for many people and that's okay because there are so many other amazing forms of training! :)
In another blog soon I'm going to go into more detail about the body's stress and hormonal response to HIIT but for now....
Just have a think about adding more variety into your training and balancing things out.
Ren x
P.S - Before ya think we are the HIIT haters, we actually love HIIT training and as part of our She Moves membership! We just know that a quality programme should include so much more! Check out our online membership here
