According to Williamson (2015), high intensity interval training, also known as HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise that has become rather popular in the 2010 's. Williamson asserts his type of anaerobic exercise can be described as a short and intense duration of physical exertion lasting anywhere from six seconds to four minutes. The intense interval is then alternated with a rest period that can vary in length between thirty seconds to five minutes (Williamson, 2015). Using sprints as an example, a runner would sprint for thirty seconds and alternate with a one minute rest period, for a total of eight sets (Williamson, 2015). One set will equal one sprint period of thirty seconds …show more content…
Cardiovascular exercise, also known as cardio, is an activity that increases the heart rate and metabolizes body fat (Williamson, 2015). As described by Williamson ( 2015), HIIT is an example of anaerobic exercise in which fast twitch muscle fibers are recruited for a short and intense duration of time, where the body uses more than ninety percent of its aerobic capacity. When an individual is engaged in physical activity, they will breathe more frequently and deeply, which in turn maximizes the amount of oxygen in the blood (Williamson, 2015). The energy needed during these activities comes from ATP. ATP is Adenosine triphosphate, which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism (Campbell, N., Williamson, B., & Heyden, 2015). HIIT exercise is great because it strengthens the heart, promotes blood flow, and burns fat while still maintaining muscular mass. There are many benefits to this form of cardiovascular exercise. Some of those benefits include, but aren 't limited to, shorter workout times, variety in movements, less likely of hitting a plateau in progress, fat loss, improved blood pressure and cholesterol, reduction of insulin sensitivity, ability to do workouts anywhere, and even improvements in brain functioning (Campbell, Williamson, Heyden, …show more content…
As illustrated by Tallanian (2007), HIIT is not limited to just one type of movement or exercise such as pedaling on a bike or jogging on a treadmill, although an individual can incorporate HIIT into these. There are endless possibilities when deciding what kind of HIIT routine to do. There is a wide variety of body weight movements, weight training moves, plyometrics, sprints, cycling, treadmill, elliptical, stairs, and just about anything a person can come up with (Williamson, 2015). This type of training allows the person to get creative and allows flexibility and variation throughout the workouts. This can break up the usual monotony of cardio. Most cardio workouts tend to be a single action, such as running, cycling, or using the elliptical. The benefit of doing HIIT anywhere, even in small areas lets the individual engage in cardio at any time of day or night. HIIT can be done at home, at the gym, or