What is a good workout for busy people?

A beginner HIIT workout.

A while ago, I sent my DNA to one of those companies that use your DNA to give you information about yourself. 

I cannot remember the company’s name, but I remembered that the report told me I should do High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). 

It was the first time I had even heard of it. 

I ignored this advice because it sounded like hard work, and I didn’t want to intensify my workouts. 

Fast forward to 2018, and now I am older and a bit heavier than I was back then. 

I have less time to work out, and my body doesn’t respond to walking alone.  I was made aware of HIIT again, and this time I was ready.

What is HIIT?

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) combines brief, very-high intensity bursts of cardio exercise followed by equal or more extended periods of rest.

How long should the HIIT workout last?

The average time for a session is 20 minutes, including the warm-up. It’s a perfect amount of time for a beginner HIIT workout for busy people.

How many sessions in a week?

In the beginning, you may only want to do one session per week until your body gets used to the intensity level of these workouts. As you get used to it, replace your cardio workouts with HIIT, but be sure not to do more than three sessions per week.

What types of exercises are in HIIT?

Here are a few of the exercises you might see in a HIIT home workout. Modification exercises are available for those who may have knee, hip, or other joint issues.

• Burpees w/modification
• Jump Lunges w/modification
• Jump Squats w/modification
• High Knees – Modified
• Mountain Climbers – Modified
• Push Ups w/modification
• Get Ups
• Bicycles
• Squat Thrusts
• New Jacks

Mobility Exercises

Mobility exercises are warm-up exercises that help prevent joint pain when doing intensive exercises such as HIIT. The main joints that are at risk are the knee, ankles, hips, and wrists.

Doing mobility exercises before your HIIT session will reduce the risk of wearing out your joints. Also, doing mobility exercises on the day between HIIT workouts will help as well.

Beginner HIIT Workout

One Last Thing

HIIT workouts can be intense and if you like to work out a lot, be careful how many times a week you train if you are a woman over the age of 40. Working out too much can raise cortisol levels, interfering with your sleep, energy levels, and ability to lose weight.

Instead, limit the workout to once or twice a week while adding yoga, light resistance training, or low-impact cardio to your exercise regime.