By now you’ve probably already heard the word HIIT (high intensity interval training) being thrown around, it has grown in popularity over the past few years and for good reason. However the concepts behind HIIT aren’t particularly new, they’re grounded in science and research, and they were around long before all the hype.

HIIT is a term for workouts that involve short periods of intense exercise alternated with recovery periods, it’s essentially any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of moderate activity or even complete rest.

HIIT not only provides the benefits of longer-duration exercise in a much shorter amount of time but also may provide some unique health benefits. Research has found that HIIT workouts may help improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, decrease body fat, and improve mental health in addition to some some great health benefits:

You’ll burn more fat

Not only do you burn more calories, but you burn more fat and calories in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you do after a steady-pace workout.

You’ll build a healthier heart

In a 2006 study, researchers found that after 8 weeks of doing HIIT workouts, subjects could bicycle twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace.

There’s no equipment necessary

 You can burn calories while toning your arms, legs, abs and glutes with plyometric or explosive moves interchanged with isometric moves like lunges, squats with no equipment necessary.

You lose weight, not muscle

While steady state cardio seems to encourage muscle loss, studies show that both weight training and HIIT workouts allow you to preserve hard-earned muscles while ensuring most of the weight loss comes from fat stores. Win and win!

HIIT workouts can include simple, beginner-friendly moves

HIIT workouts can include simple, beginner-friendly moves. One big assumption or misconception is that you need to be jumping, flailing, and sprinting in order to achieve a great HIIT workout. But this is not the case, the principle of HIIT lies in exertion. You can achieve a great HIIT workout without both feet ever leaving the floor and going gentle on your joints. Check out our No-Impact STRONG Nation class for a great example of this.

Improving mental health

We already have a good understanding the exercise may benefit mental health, however HIIT training may be especially helpful. A 2019 review suggests that HIIT can provide a range of benefits for people with mental illnesses, including reducing the severity of depression. Another study suggested that HIIT can alter your brain by boosting a protein called BDNF, which is involved in regulating brain function and mood. Short HIIT workouts can also overcome difficulties with motivation and finding time to exercise.

It keeps you younger

During HIIT, the production of the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is stimulated by up to 450 percent during the 24 hours after you finish your workout. HGH is responsible for increased caloric burn and slows down the aging process, making you younger inside and out!

The bottom line: HIIT is a great training method to incorporate into your weekly routine for it’s many health benefits. We have tons of HIIT (both low impact and high impact) on the Virtual Studio. Ready to give a class a try? Checkout our classes here.

This month, we are focusing on mobility! Why mobility? Why should I care about mobility? What IS mobility? All great questions! Let’s dive in.

What is mobility?

According to the American Council on Exercise, mobility is how a joint moves through its normal range of motion. Most people think that mobility and flexibility are the same, when in fact they are two very different concepts.

Flexibility is the ability to lengthen your muscles, for example holding a stretch while your body melts into it. Mobility is the ability of a joint to move actively through its full range of motion. Mobility is active and also made up of motor control, strength and even skill. Flexible muscles help improve how well you can move your joints and considered an important component of mobility.  But for good mobility, you also need strength and stability in addition to flexibility.

The importance of mobility

Mobility is important because it affects your ability to move freely throughout your daily activities without pain and strain, even outside of strenuous movements like you do during exercise (it’s also been associated with increased energy and strength, so that’s a bonus). Without good mobility, your muscles may be tight, but you can also have imbalances in the body and be more prone to injury. Good mobility can make a big difference to all areas of your life, whether you are a high-performance athlete or an office worker,  it is what will keep you active years down the line.

Benefits of Mobility Training

There are tons of benefits to increasing your mobility:

• Injury prevention/reduction
• Increased body awareness/understanding
• Increased strength through muscle activation
• Relieve tightness, tension
• Improved posture
• Increased strength, balance, flexibility, etc
• Keeps your body moving fluidly, optimally

How to Incorporate Mobility

• Try one of our mobility classes on the virtual studio which incorporate mobility movement (i.e. yoga classes, stretching, mobility classes)
• Look out for our new Mobility collections being released over the next while
• Add in mobility exercises to your warm-up or cool down: for example, walking knee to chest, arm and hip circles, high-stepping, lunges with a twist or a squat to hinge
• Self-massage or foam rolling
• These are only a few points on how to start incorporating mobility into your daily routines. There are many more ways to work on your mobility so stay tuned for additional blog posts to come!

Mobility is fundamental to your physical well being and the key to longevity (it is like adding in a little savings plan for your future). Training for mobility is about you and your unique body. Start where you are, listen to your body, and do what you can. At the end of the day, improving your mobility is one of the most effective ways to have a happy, pain-free body that will sustain you through your entire life.

When you think of strength training, what comes to mind? Most of us already know that strength training (with free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can help build and maintain muscle mass and strength. What many of us don’t know is that strong muscles lead to strong bones. And strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.

A combination of age-related changes, inactivity, and/or inadequate nutrition can gradually steal bone mass as we age. As bones grow more fragile and susceptible to fracture, they are more likely to break after even minor falls or a far less stress. Many studies have shown that strength training can play a role in slowing bone loss which is useful to help offset age-related declines in bone mass.

By combining strength and power training exercises you’ll not only get stronger, you’ll build speed, improve your reaction time, and increase your endurance which can make everyday activities easier. Two or three 20- or 30-minute strength training sessions a week can result in significant health benefits.

So what else is strength training good for you ask? Let’s take a look at a few more benefits:

Benefits

• Increased muscle mass: Muscle mass naturally decreases with age, but strength training can help reverse the trend.
• Stronger bones: Strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of fractures.
• Joint flexibility: Strength training helps joints stay flexible and can reduce symptoms of arthritis.
• Weight control: As you gain muscle, your body begins to burn calories more easily, making it easier to control your weight.
• Balance: Strength exercises can increase flexibility and balance. 
• Improves sleep: A study involving elderly men aged 65 to 80 years, showed resistance training helped improve sleep patterns, including less wakings and deeper sleep in those who took part in just a single training session a week.
• Reduces anxiety: Researchers have documented the anxiolytic effects of resistance training, with low-to-moderate intensity training leading to the most consistent decrease in anxiety.
• Boosts energy and mood: Like all exercise, strength training raises your levels of endorphins, which serve to improve not only your mood, but gives you an increase in your energy level as well.

Remember that it is never too late to start including strength training as part of your exercise regime. If you’re in search of some inspiration, check out our virtual studio for some fun classes. 

Getting fit and staying fit is a fantastic achievement. Fitness is key to staying healthy and happy. Exercising also helps keep the immune system running in peak condition and keeps your metabolism raring to go.

The following full body workout incorporates a few compound exercises, exercises that involve more than one joint and muscle group. Compound exercises are functional, increase your heart rate, and you can get more out of your time by combining upper and lower body in the same exercise.

Remember to warm up 3-5 minutes before you begin with some dynamic movements, such as jumping jacks, running on the spot, skipping.

Complete 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, then move onto the next exercise.
Rest 30 to 60 seconds between exercise.

Repeat workout 1-2x

1. Squat to shoulder press
2. Bent over row
3. Reverse lunge with bicep curl
4. Chest press on stability ball
5. Table top with Spine stretch

Squat to Shoulder Press

Targets: Shoulders, quads, hamstrings, glutes, triceps

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold one dumbbell in each hand so the dumbbells are in front of each shoulder with the palms facing each other.
2. Sit into the hips to perform a squat; at the bottom, press both feet into the ground to move to a standing position. Press both arms overhead while keeping the palms facing each other.

Tip: Coordinate the moves so that the weight is lowered while sitting into the squat and the weights are pressed overhead once a standing position is reached.

Bent-over Row

Targets: back, posterior shoulder

1. Hold a dumbbell in your hand and stand with your feet comfortable apart.Tighten your abdominal muscles, bend at your knees and lean forward at the hips. Keep spine nice and straight.
2. Let your arm hang straight below shoulder, the raise weight until your elbow is in line with your shoulder and parallel with spine.
3. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position.
4. Perform 10-12 reps with right arm, then switch to 10-12 reps with left arm.

Reverse Lunge and Bicep Curl

Targets: quads, hamstrings, glutes, biceps

1. Stand up straight, shoulders back, chest lifted and weights at side (palms facing in).
2. Take a big step backwards with left foot, lower your hips until your front (right) knee forms a 90 degree angle to the floor.
3. Push yourself up to start, using the strength in front foot. Perform a bicep curl as you come up to stand.
4. Perform 10-12 reps on right side, then repeat on left side.

Chest Press on Stability Ball

Targets: arms, chest, shoulders and abs

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, position your upper back on a stability ball. Feet flat on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Position the dumbbells near your chest and armpit, elbows bent and palms facing forward.
3. Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight, keeping a slight bend in your elbow. Lower to start position.

Alternate:

Table Top with Spine Stretch

Targets: Core

1. Kneel on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips
2. Breath in, maintain a long spine and slide your left leg back and up as your right arm goes forward and up.
3. End position is horizontal straight line from tips of fingers to toes.
4. Lower and repeat on other side.