The fitness industry comes out with some new form of exercise or workout session every few years. With more and more Americans moving towards the wellness industry, this is a welcome change. Just when you thought you had seen it all concerning fitness, you are hit with a new wellness trend. The latest member of this growing list of trends believes that No Pain, No Gain is outdated. Called HILIT, which stands for High-Intensity Low-Impact Training, this workout allows you to get fit, without the aches and pains. Are you unconvinced regarding its effectiveness? Well, here’s a look at everything you need to know about HILIT and its benefits.
What is HILIT?
If you have ever visited a gym or fitness class, you must be aware of the HIIT workout. These high-intensity workouts really work up a sweat and require you to use all your core muscle groups. However, if you want something a bit kinder to the body, you can now try High-Intensity Low Impact Training. These workouts primarily focus on improving mobility and promoting injury prevention. People from all walks of life and age groups can try these out, as they are safe and comfortable on the body.
Furthermore, HILIT allows people to leave the studio feeling good, rather than thoroughly washed out. One of the most exciting things about HILIT is that it rebukes the theory that exercise equals pain. Rather than focusing on the number of workouts you are doing, it puts focus on what you are doing, and how you do it.
What does a HILIT do?
Mainly, a HILIT workout incorporates movements that utilize your entire body, but don’t have a low impact on your joints. For instance, some of the most common exercises included in such workouts are planking and using gliders in ab routines. Such minor changes help engage the core, but the stability around the joints prevents them from facing abrupt forces and shocks. Therefore, these exercises help prevent damage to the tissues and joints and aching due to injury.
HILIT Vs. HIIT
- Unlike High-Intensity Interval Training, as the name suggests, HILIT is very low impact. What this means essentially is that while HIIT exercises apply more abrupt force to the joints, HILIT makes things easier for your joints.
- HIIT exercises include burpees and squat jumps, whereas HILIT focuses more on simple squats, planks, and crunches.
- Due to the abrupt force in play, HIIT can lead to injury and fatigue, if it isn’t done exactly right. Meanwhile, HILIT is much easier on the joints and is less injury-prone.
- While HIIT focuses on doing high-intensity workouts, HILIT emphasizes on toning, stretching, and strengthening muscles.
What Does Low Impact Truly Mean
Don’t let the words fool you. Low impact in no way means that HILIT is easy to do, and not intensive at all. In fact, HILIT makes you break a sweat, the same way HIIT and other exercises do. You can burn the same number of calories, and feel worked up after a HILIT session. The significant difference here is that HILIT focuses on major muscle groups, and helps tone all of them efficiently. The sessions usually last 30 minutes or so and are split into different categories. Each exercise is done very fast, very hard, for about 30 secs or so to get your heart racing. Usually, this is followed by a 15-second break to help you catch your breath. Then you move on to the next exercise, or repeat the same one, for a prescribed number of repeat sets. Such a routine helps with both strength training and cardio training, as it gets your heart pumping and muscles working.
Benefits of HILIT
- Time-saving, as a typical session lasts only half an hour
- Energy-efficient as you don’t need to spend hours working out
- No need for a lot of equipment
- People can do the routine at home, and don’t need to head to the gym
- Cost-effective
- Good for all ages
- Fewer chances of injury
- Less exhausting
- Gives you the same benefits a long, steady-state workout gives you
- The increased EPOC effect, under which your body continues to burn calories after an exercise session
- Keeps things exciting and helps you overcome your fitness plateau
How to Incorporate HILIT Into Your Daily Fitness Regime
Since you do not need a lot of equipment to do these exercises, you can do your own HILIT exercise routine at home. Another advantage is that a session of HILIT takes only around 30 minutes. Therefore, you can incorporate such sessions daily to enhance your fitness and activity. Try to do one of these sessions early in the morning, before you head to school or work. You can also do one such session while at your school or office gym. If you wish to join a class, find a studio near you, and try to attend the course at least four times a week until you get the hang of it. Also, even if you are a little older or are recovering from a muscle injury, you can practice these workouts. They are easy on your muscles and joints and serve as an excellent rehabilitation routine. As you can see, it is effortless to find time for this routine and make it a part of your daily fitness regime.
HILIT Workout Examples
- Swimming/ Cycling/ Pilates/ Yoga or Barre for over 45 minutes
- TRX routines, Band work, Lunges, Weighted gabs, Glider work for over 30 minutes
- In-place Marching for 20 seconds – 10-second break (eight sets)
- Pushups for 20 seconds – 10-second break (eight sets)
- Lateral shuffle for 20 seconds – 10-second break (eight sets)
- Triceps dips for 20 seconds – 10-second break (eight sets)
- Sumo squat burpee for 20 seconds – 10-second break (eight sets)
- Frog pushups for 20 seconds – 10-second break (eight sets)
While HILIT classes can be a little confusing in the beginning, they are very effective because they require you to do so much so fast. Once you get going and make this a part of your routine, you will be surprised at how quickly you start seeing results. Commit to the HILIT workout for a month, and you will begin to see the magic happen before your very eyes. So move away from a hurt-is-good mindset, and start focusing more on mobility and injury prevention for a more sustainable approach to fitness.
