How to get the most out of your limited exercise time
HIIT is gaining favour among busy Hongkongers as a quick and effective way to improve fitness
High-intensity fitness training of less than 20 minutes, three times a week, is as effective as the recommended 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, researchers say.
A review of a decade’s worth of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) studies has also found that as little as four minutes of exercise can improve health.
Low volume HIIT has comparable results to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, a report in the Journal of Physiology says.
HIIT has become increasingly popular as a quick and effective way to improve health, with scores of programmes and classes popping up in Hong Kong in recent years. The training incorporates short bursts of activity with recovery periods.
As countries emerge out of lockdown and people are more cautious about returning to gyms, HIIT continues to be a popular way to exercise. The WHO physical activity guidelines are 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 to 100 minutes of vigorous activity a week. But for many time-poor Hongkongers this may be unattainable owing to family or work commitments.
The findings of this study show low-volume HIIT, involving less than 20 minutes of total exercise time including warm-up and cool down, yields comparable improvements to the WHO guidelines despite requiring less time.
“While the WHO guidelines may serve their purpose at a populational level, individualised and tailored low-volume HIIT interventions, delivered by appropriately trained exercise professionals, may be more effective at an individual level, especially for time-poor individuals,” says Western Sydney University researcher Dr Angelo Sabag.
“This research is especially important now as people are looking for new and exciting ways to engage in regular exercise after a year of lower physical activity owing to the pandemic.”
The review built on the researchers’ recent study published in Diabetes Care which showed that as little as four minutes of
HIIT three times per week for 12 weeks significantly improved blood sugar levels, fat in the liver, and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with type 2 diabetes. They also showed the improvements were comparable to an intervention involving 45 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. The new review also reported low-volume HIIT can improve heart function and arterial health.
For Hong Kong teacher Evie Ho, HIIT has been the perfect way to get fit and lose weight without spending hours in the gym.
“As someone who strongly dislikes exercising, HIIT seems ideal as, in theory, you’ll put in a lot of effort for a shorter amount of time. It does not take up too much time. I’m not very motivated to do exercise but if I know it’ll be short I have the mindset of getting it out the way quickly,” she says.
The 28-year-old from Yau Ma Tei does 21-minute sessions, three times a week.
She is one of the millions of people worldwide who have switched from going to the gym to working out at home, as fitness innovations have enabled people to connect with personal trainers and workout programmes online.
Working out at home can be time- and cost-effective, and reduces the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
“It’s easy to do at home,” Ho says. “Owing to Covid-19, I haven’t been going to the gym because of hygiene and cleanliness concerns, and I can easily fit in HIIT during my downtime. Going to the gym requires more dedication and can be intimidating.”
Sommer Nisbet, 42, who previously enjoyed going to the gym, completes two or three longer bouts of HIIT each week, with the aim of building strength while improving cardiovascular fitness.
“I only started HIIT after my third child when I had terrible posture due to a lack of strength and was completely unfit. Within a few months, I could feel my muscles gaining strength, which eased the pain I had been suffering in my shoulders and back due to poor posture. Also, I had more energy for playing with the kids, which was great,” she says.
The human resources director from South Lantau works with a personal trainer and also attends a boot camp class.
“For me, it is not so much about the short space of time as it is about how effective and wellrounded the exercises are,” she says.
I’m not very motivated to do exercise but if I know it’ll be short I have the mindset of getting it out the way quickly
EVIE HO, HONG KONG TEACHER