If you are wondering whether doing a 20-minute workout daily can make a difference, then here you go: YES, it can! A 20-minute effective workout like HIIT(high-intensity interval training) can help you achieve your weight loss goal.
What is HIIT?
It is a very popular term among athletes and fitness freaks as a very effective way of training in a short time. Also, it is a way to fire up calories burned, enhance heart health, and lose weight easily.
There are many misconceptions about HIIT, like it is just for cardio, more is always better, and it can replace cardio. However, the reality is quite the opposite. HIIT is just a way to make your workout more effective by alternating short, high-intensity periods with regular recovery periods. In other words, it is about adding short but vigorously intense reps of exercise to a regular workout routine.
HIIT can be performed in various ways, such as equipment exercises, body weight exercises, Sprints, or even resistance training. Additionally, it is important to know that this training protocol depends on anaerobic energy systems that can only be used for short sprints.
What Makes HIIT so Effective?
HIIT has multiple healthy effects on our body, not just during the training but also after the workout, which makes it overall effective. Moreover, there are a number of key features that make it more effective than regular workout training ways, which are:
- It Improves Cardiorespiratory System
Studies have shown that HIIT drastically improves peak oxygen intake during exercise, which is VO2 and stroke volume (SV). Additionally, it increases our lactate threshold, which is the point at which your body starts to produce lactic acid. Altogether, it is greatly helpful in strengthening cardiovascular health and lowering the risk of heart disease.
- Enhances Anaerobic Performance
This exercise mode depends on the anaerobic energy system, enhancing anaerobic performance. In addition, it impacts anaerobic performance by enhancing citrate synthase activity and skeletal muscle blood flow in the body.
- Increases Muscle Gain
It is researched and proven that HIIT is an effective mode of exercise that enhances muscle mass and burns fat in our bodies. Hence, it is considered to be very beneficial for people suffering from obesity to combat their disease effectively. There could be one more reason that HIIT is this effective: it increases the oxidation of muscles, which helps in fat loss.
- Burn Calories like Nothing
A 2015 study examined the amount of calories burned in resistance training and HIIT. All participants performed 4 exercises for around 30 minutes, including HIIT. The results of this experiment prove that HIIT alone burns 20-30% more calories than the other three exercises combined.
- Induce Body Weight Loss Mechanism
Another reason why HIIT is more effective in weight loss is it increases calorie expenditure and induces body weight mechanisms, such as decreased post-exercise appetite and increased catecholamine release.
- Exercise Capacity
Many studies show that HIIT increases our body’s exercise capacity. As HIIT significantly improves our heart rate and breath rate, it helps to improve muscular endurance and strength.
Lastly, HIIT is a pro-level exercise that enhances heart rate, breath rate, and muscular endurance and allows us to achieve more in less time. It also improves the body’s metabolism rate, which burns fat and induces weight loss.
An Effective 20 minutes HIIT workout to Lose weight
Here is a simple example of a HIIT workout that can be completed in 20-30 minutes easily. It is a dynamic and easy-to-do workout for beginners, and it is adopted on a daily basis. This HIIT workout would be very effective in fat and weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy, protein-rich diet.
| Warm Up (2-4) Minutes | HIIT Intervals (16-17) Minutes | Cool Down and Stretch (1-2) Minutes |
| Cardio exercises like:JoggingCyclingJumping JacksRowingElliptical | 40 Seconds of Max training for themBurpeesSquat JumpsMountain ClimbersPlanksElbow to KneePush-upsFollowed by 20 seconds of rest | Finish with stretching to induce healing and speed up recovery time.Child PoseCobra PoseHamstring stretchQuadricepsTorso StretchingStretch all major groups of muscles |
Like all other workouts, start with simple cardio to warm up. It will ace your heartbeat and prepare your body to work better and longer for high-intensity intervals. After that, start with HIIT training with the above-given exercises, performing them in 45 seconds at a fast pace and with a 15-second recovery time. Repeat this cycle 4-5 times.
Afterward, keep up with the breath rest and start stretching. Cooling down your body becomes very important, especially after HIIT training. It induces muscle recovery and heals tears. In addition, it will lessen muscle soreness and help combat muscle aches.
What are the benefits of shorter Workouts?
Shorter workouts are also beneficial because they allow for more frequent exercise. Shorter workouts are also easier to fit into busy schedules, requiring less time commitment. Additionally, shorter workouts can provide just as much benefit as longer workouts.
- Calorie Burning And Fat Loss
This way, you will burn more calories than the regular steady-state cardio of the same duration. Additionally, 20 minutes of HIIT workout delivers the same effects you get after longer endurance training.
- Decreases Cardiometabolic Risk
It is proven that this HIIT mode of workout strengthens the heart and improves blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. Overall, it helps strengthen and improve cardiovascular health.
- Increases Endurance Capacity
HIIT workouts challenge body limits and effectively push them further into the anaerobic zone. That enhances the body’s endurance level and improves body mass index BMI in the end.
- Accessible and Time Efficient
It is a very time-efficient exercise that can be done at home and the gym, which makes it more accessible and easier to do in a busy life.
- Overall Health Benefits
Last but not least, HIIT is a very efficient, accessible, and beneficial way to improve overall fitness. Moreover, it boosts metabolism, allows weight loss, and enhances strength more easily than other typical workouts.
How to Make them More Effective?
Long thing short, it is proven that HIIT is very helpful in weight loss, increasing muscle mass and body strength. Other than that, it has a lot more health benefits, such as diabetes, breast cancer, body composition, osteoarthritis, and many more.
Health professionals and gym trainers agree that HIIT is a time-saving way to lose weight. It was also ranked as the third fitness trend worldwide in 2019. The most recommended exercises are jumping squats, burpees, and mountain climbers.
Moreover, you can easily customise intensity, weights, time intervals, and breaks according to your needs, goals, and preferences. Lastly, we always advise you to consult with professional personal trainers or health professionals before making any major changes in your life.
FAQs
How long should a HIIT workout be for weight loss?
The optimum duration of the HIIT workout should be between 30-45 minutes to burn fat and lose weight.
HIIT or LISS Cardio: What’s Best for Weight Loss?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is compared to be more effective in losing weight as compared to Low-intensity interval state workouts(LISS) due to the following factors:
- It leads to more afterburn effect
- It preserves lean muscles
- High-intensity training
However, there is one more saying that no matter what mode of training you choose, consistency and calorie intake also have a great impact on losing weight.
Is 20 minutes of HIIT 3 times a week enough?
Weight loss occurs when calories are consumed less than burned. Hence, HIIT is generally very helpful in weight loss regardless of duration because it burns calories more times than a normal workout.
Will I lose weight if I exercise 20 minutes a day?
Yes, you can easily lose weight by consistently exercising 20 minutes of HIIT every day. Or at least 3-5 days a week, which is more important than the duration of the workout training.
How many calories does a 20-minute HIIT workout burn?
A study published by the American Council stated that participants burned approximately 240-360 calories in just 20 minutes of HIIT training.
How quickly can you see results from HIIT?
According to personal trainers, you can start witnessing results from a HIIT workout within the first 4-6 weeks of training, and you can actually see the major difference after 12 weeks of training. However, it can vary depending on the person, as everyone has different states when they start working out; hence, it can differ.
