Maybe you've tried high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as a way to balance your training and didn't like it. But have you tried SIT? a recent study, published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, found that adding interval training to a daily routine can have big benefits even for inactive people, but not all interval training is created equal.
The researchers looked at 30 young adults who did not exercise regularly and asked them to complete three cycling tests in a lab on separate days. They made HIIT in one day, and speed interval training (ITS) and continuous training of moderate intensity (MICT) the other days.
HIIT consisted of sessions performed at approximately 80 percent of a participant's maximum heart rate. SIT shortened bouts of activity in an "all-out" approach, while MICT had lower maximum heart rate and longer periods of low-intensity rest. All sessions were the same duration, around 20 to 25 minutes.
Even seemingly minor variations, like changing your effort rate, can have a significant effect on your motivation for exercise, the researchers said. The bottom line, they suggested, is that people respond differently to various levels of intensity, and those responses influence participation.
What is the best type of interval training?
The short version is that you find the one you like best. With interval training, that means finding the mix of work and rest time that challenges you but doesn't leave you dreading your next workout.
The other benefit of intensity training for those who tend to focus on one type of activity, such as cycling, is that it provides a nice burst of cross training and that can help prevent injuries.
Different types of movement can do a lot to increase your range of motion, engage different muscle groups, and protect your joints. All of this can have an effect on reducing the risks associated with repetitive activity that tends to use the same muscles repeatedly.
To that end, it's helpful to not only do HIIT sessions, but mix them up as well. With just 15 to 20 minutes of training showing benefits, that could involve a combination of four or five exercises done in multiple sets, and best of all, that session could act as a dynamic warm-up.