HIIT Fun?
I have a confession: I married a woman who doesn’t like to exercise. I know—it’s not what you’d expect from guy committed to a career in making people fitter and healthier, but she was and is irresistible. Since we met, I’ve been on the lookout for fun ways to exercise, especially since HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has become popular. One could argue that HIIT shouldn’t be fun, but maybe it could be more interesting?
We’ve worked out that distraction helps, so Paula usually is reading or watching TV while biking or doing other exercises. How can we work HIIT into that formula?
- The simplest way is just to see whether she can increase the RPMs for 30 seconds by pedaling as fast as possible; maybe she only makes it 15 seconds.
- Then pedal at an easy pace for three and a half minutes; repeat four to six times.
- The goal is to last for 30 seconds during all the intervals.
Another approach would be to keep the same pace, but bump up the resistance for 30 seconds, followed by the same approach of easy cycling at reduced resistance.
The same logic could be used for walking, elliptical trainers, and stair climbers. What about other forms of exercise or exercise equipment? What do you do for exercise that’s fun?
One important caution: you should always check with your physician or cardiologist before you do HIIT just to be sure your heart is healthy enough to try it. That doesn’t mean you have to make an appointment; if you see your doctor regularly, you can probably call the office or send a message through the online portal and get an answer. What are you prepared to do today?
