NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
Rebuild your body with this four-week at-home HIIT plan
You know the saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It’s true of your taste in 90s romcoms and it’s true of fitness. Specifically, HIIT.
That research has consistently shown HIIT to be among the best ways of burning a large amount of calories in a short amount of time is the reason it’s the fitness industry’s answer to J-LO (read: legendary, and going nowhere). So, HIIT remains the obvious choice for those looking to shift a few seasonal pounds.
In the unlikely event you’re unfamiliar with the concept, HIIT intersperses short bursts of work with brief rest periods to keep your heart rate high for a really effective workout. For starters, you burn calories – a lot of them. One study* found it burned 25% to 30% more than other forms of exercise within the same timeframe. And you keep on burning after the fact. ‘This is because your body has to work harder to recover than it would after a lower-intensity session,’ explains Gauri Chopra, PT and founder of London Rooftop Gym. In the biz, this is known as EPOC, or excess postexercise oxygen consumption. Put simply, it refers to the work your body has to do to return to its natural state; bringing your heart rate back to normal, clearing waste products like lactic acid from your muscles, re-oxygenating your blood, and repairing muscle fibres. It’s a lot of work, and requires energy – and energy = calories.
Still need convincing? As well as torching calories, HIIT will build both your strength and fitness, since it requires work against resistance (either equipment or body weight) at an intensity that’ll send your heart rate soaring. In other words, it challenges both your cardiovascular system and your muscles at the same time: a win-win.
Ready to HIIT the reset button? Good. Exclusively for WH, Chopra has designed a four-week Hiit-focused plan to get you moving again. ‘You can expect to feel fitter, develop a stronger core, be more flexible and have better mobility,’ she says. You’ll do three 20-minute sessions with her every week (lower body; upper body; cardio and core), through video workouts on the WH Youtube channel.
If you’re new around here, welcome; this plan is great for beginners and experienced exercisers alike, as Chopra will coach you on ways to dial the intensity up or down. And the work doesn’t stop when you do – you’ll find advice on what to do on your ‘off’ days, including active recovery to help alleviate post-workout aches and pains, and yoga or stretch sessions to build flexibility. The really good news is we’re all in this together. Join our WH Get Fit Done Facebook group (on the Women’s Health UK Facebook page, find WH Get Fit Done via the Groups tab and click the ‘Join Group’ button) to find handy tips and connect with others doing the challenge. And when you’ve finished? ‘You’ll have spent 28 days laying the groundwork for a healthier, more active lifestyle,’ adds
Chopra. See you on the other side.