Consistent exercise of any type offers many health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health and the potential to lose weight. One type of exercise can help you lose weight fast. It's called high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, and it is used to promote weight loss, increase endurance, improve muscle tone and build speed and explosiveness.
Weight Loss 101
It's critical to first understand the basics of weight loss. Weight loss simply involves a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit means you are taking in fewer calories than you're burning. You can create a calorie deficit by cutting back on high-calorie foods and by exercising. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends losing a maximum of 1 to 2 lbs. per week to stay safe as you lose weight. The HIIT workout can help you reach this level of fat loss.
The HIIT Workout Routine
High-intensity interval training is a flexible workout routine, because you can use any type of aerobic exercise -- treadmill workouts, elliptical machine training, swimming, rollerblading or jogging. You exercise at a moderate pace for a short "rest" interval -- usually 30 to 60 seconds -- and then transition into a "work" interval at about 80 to 90 percent of your maximum effort for an equivalent length of time. Complete up to 10 rest-and-work cycles per workout for a total workout time of no more than 20 minutes, excluding warm-up and cool-down times.
Frequency
As a beginner, two or three HIIT workouts per week are ideal. It's important to have at least one day of rest in between each workout, because you may experience some initial muscle soreness. As you become more physically fit, you can use HIIT up to five times per week. If you experience muscle or joint pain, it may be a sign of overworking yourself. In this case, cut back on your workout frequency to allow your body to heal.
Results
Fitness expert Rod Ferris points out that HIIT helps people burn fat faster and more efficiently compared to moderate exercise. USA Today reports that HIIT can also help double your endurance, improve your body's oxygen capacity, increase strength by 10 percent or more and increase speed by at least 5 percent. Your metabolism is boosted significantly by HIIT, and this continues hours after each workout. The result is your body burns an increased number of calories even after you're done exercising.
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