HIIT vs. Endurance: The Benefits of Mixing Up Your Exercise Routine
- AMHaavik
- Oct 21, 2024
- 2 min read
Roosevelt did jiu jitsu, Obama played basketball, and Biden rode a peloton. If the head of the oval office can make time for exercise, what’s your excuse? According to the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, only 24.2% of adults (18+) met the minimum requirements for health outlined in the American Physical Activity Guidelines. Some jaded gym-goers may gripe that workouts are tedious, causing a loss of momentum on the tread and commitment in the weight room. In order to stay on track with exercise goals while also making muscular gains and speed increases, steady-state forms of cardio should be alternated with shorter, higher intensity forms of exercise.
Incorporating HIIT training into workout regimens, such as sprints followed by varying lengths of recovery, can have a monumental impact on physical stamina and VO2 max. Compared to steady-state cardio, HIIT training is also shorter, making it an attractive alternative for those with less time. If an athlete typically completes 2 to 3 long distance runs per week as part of their fitness regimen, data suggests that measures of speed and VO2 max may be more significantly (and quickly) improved by swapping a comfortable jog for twenty-minutes of all-out sprints. While interspersing training sessions with anaerobic forms of exercise can be the key to unlocking speed gains and muscular growth, engaging in challenging workouts can also bolster mental strength, and help engagement and motivation.
At the end of the day, movement is the goal, and if HIIT workouts aren't your cup of tea, then another form of exercise will be. According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, running a mere 5-10 minutes a day can drastically reduce your odds of dying prematurely from all causes, including cardiovascular disease. Whether you’re training for a marathon or simply looking to add physical activity to your repertoire, variety is the spice of life and the key to fending of boredom.
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