The current situations are no doubt stressful and the pandemic is gripping the entire world. Maintaining good health and improving immunity should be a definite focus of each person escaping this pandemic.

At the moment it is also hard to deny that lockdown has had effect even on general public health. One of these adverse health conditions and the most common is weight gain. Staying home has not helped anyone who have opted not to workout.

However, if you are wanting to get back to shape or maintain your fitness levels then HIIT is the answer for good results. High intensity involves interval training, a combination of exercises that are cardiovascular, where short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. This kind of workout is repeated until too exhausted to continue.

As vox.com writes, “ When researchers talk about HIIT, they’re referring to workouts that alternate hard-charging intervals, during which a person’s heart rate reaches at least 80 percent of its maximum capacity usually for one to five minutes, with periods of rest or less intense exercise. (It’s not easy to know that you’re working at 80 percent, but a Fitbit or heart rate monitor can help.)”

If this sounds complicated, do not get triggered by the technical statements and definition. The best thing about starting HIIT routine is that it is easy and isn’t hard to get started.

To begin with just select the exercise/activity that you like doing the most (running, walking, biking, cross training, jumping etc.) And then you can experiment with the different forms of exercise and their duration accompanied by recovery time. Basically, it is a combination of how long you are performing intense exercise and how long you are recovering.

According to Healthline, Here are a few simple examples of HIIT workouts:

• Using a stationary bike, pedal as hard and fast as possible for 30 seconds. Then, pedal at a slow, easy pace for two to four minutes. Repeat this pattern for 15 to 30 minutes.

• After jogging to warm up, sprint as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Then, walk or jog at a slow pace for one to two minutes. Repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes.

• Perform squat jumps (video) as quickly as possible for 30 to 90 seconds. Then, stand or walk for 30 to 90 seconds. Repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes.

While these examples can get you started, you should modify your own routine based on your own preferences.

It is all in the mind, and this is nothing but the truth when it comes to an assumption that HIIT training programme are difficult to perform. High-intensity interval training is a very efficient way to exercise, and may help you burn more calories than you would with other forms of exercise.

As stated in Healthline, some of the calories burned from high-intensity intervals come from a higher metabolism, which lasts for hours after exercise. HIIT produces many of the same health benefits as other forms of exercise in a shorter amount of time.These benefits include lower body fat, heart rate and blood pressure. HIIT may also help lower blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.

So, if you are short on time and want to get active, consider trying high-intensity interval training. This advice is not only coming from people in this business, but also from ordinary people who have tried out this workout programme. Try it and see it yourself!

-Vritti Parasher