Many people believe that in order to lose weight we need to spend hours exercising at a steady moderate intensity “fat burning” pace. This type of training does help people lose weight and can benefit health but it may not be the most effective way to lose fat. Content experts have stated:1
“Most aerobic exercise interventions have consisted of moderate-intensity steady-state exercise, for about 30 to 40
min for 3 to 4 days per week, over a four- to six-month period. Disappointingly, these kinds of exercise programs have resulted in minimal fat loss.2,3“
So, a traditional aerobic program for fat loss may not always be ideal. Is there a better option?
High Intensity Intermittent Exercise
High intensity intermittent exercise often referred to as high intensity interval training (HIIT) typically involves bouts of brief high intensity exercise at an all-out intensity followed by low intensity activity or rest.4 The ratio of the high intensity interval and recovery can vary depending on the protocol.
- An exercise bike
- A brief warm-up
- An 8 second sprint: Sprinting should be high intensity.
- A 12 second recovery: Turn pedals over slowly
- Repeat for 20 minutes: Work up to this! Once you can perform 20 minutes increase pedal resistance. When this is easy continue to progress resistance to keep intensity up.
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