“LIIT is the new HIIT.” So say endless articles and blog posts on the merits of Low-Intensity Interval Training compared with its highly exerting sibling. But what exactly is LIIT, and what are its benefits?
In a nutshell, LIIT does away with high-impact exercises, greatly reducing your risk of injury. There’s no jumping, bouncing, or limb-thumping. The idea, instead, is to engage in slow, controlled movements, which many people believe to be just as effective as those offered by fast-paced workouts.
LIIT incorporates elements of bodyweight workouts, like Pilates, whilst also putting weights and resistance bands to use. The overall aim being to bring your body to a satisfying burn without burning it out.
HIIT and LIIT: what’s the difference?
You may not have come across LIIT before, but chances are you’ll be fairly familiar with HIIT. And whilst there aren’t many differences between the two, the things that do separate them are quite significant.
Basically, HIIT sessions are shorter and more intense, and generally consist of more exerting exercises mixed in with shorter rest periods. LIIT, on the other hand, lasts a little longer, and incorporates more drawn-out rest periods and more sustainable exercises.
Though minute-for-minute HIIT sessions burn more calories, it’s believed that overall the average HIIT and LIIT workouts will burn around the same amount. So you don’t need to feel like your losing out by turning down the intensity level.
Less intense = more mindful
One advantage of LIIT, at least according to its advocates, is that it offers a more mindful approach to fitness.
It’s hard to deny that these days many of us live incredibly fast-paced, high-stress lives. And though exercise in general can provide a fantastic antidote to this, many fitness regimes still contain stress-inducing elements, whether physical or mental.
It seems almost as if the increasing pace of the modern world has gradually seeped into our gyms and parks. And our high-intensity workouts can sometimes fail to provide us with the psychological and emotional disconnect we really need.
LIIT, however, could be the perfect middle-ground. With Low-Intensity Interval Training, we’re forced to slow down and move at a physical pace that’s completely at odds with our daily habits.
Not only that, but going at a slower physical pace could have a positive effect on our state of mind. If we lift a weight in slow-motion, for example, we’re much more likely to focus on the actual movement of our arms. With this focus comes concentration, and concentration is, essentially, the foundation of mindfulness.
So by creating space, and allowing ourselves the time to move in a more considered and careful manner, we may pave the way to slow down our thoughts and create greater peace of mind.
Who’s it good for and what are the benefits?
As you might imagine, LIIT is suited to pretty much anyone. You certainly don’t need to be in peak physical shape to have a go. In fact, it may be even more beneficial for those who rarely exercise due to its gentler nature.
Much like HIIT, LIIT is believed to be great for burning fat and calories, boosting mental wellbeing, and reducing stress. It’s also seen as a way to improve mobility, flexibility, and cardio resistance.
Though we’ve compared the two, neither LIIT or HIIT are, in the end, superior forms of exercise in comparison to the other. Which one is best for you will all depend on your goals and current level of fitness.
The dumbbell is one of the most simple, effective, and versatile fitness tools around. They can be found in almost any gym (including ours), and make a perfect addition to any exercise routine, whether you’re a complete newbie or a seasoned fitness fanatic.
The 8 exercises we’ve chosen are simple to learn but pack a punch, and they target many different areas of the body (because dumbbells aren’t just for biceps!). From the bent-over row to the Russian twist, you’ll find something here to suit your needs in any workout scenario.
Bent-over row
Targets: upper body, including traps, rhomboids, lats, and biceps.
Generally speaking, walking is great wherever you roam. But it turns out that the quality of your walking environment might actually have an impact on the type and extent of the health benefits you obtain.
In other words, walking in nature could be better for your health than walking in urban areas. Which makes a regular stroll through the park the perfect accompaniment to a regular gym routine.
And if you need any convincing to strap on your walking boots, here’s why going for a walk in the park can make an excellent addition to your weekly exercise routine.
It could reduce stress
According to a study, people who regularly visit urban parks for an average of 20 minutes report a significant increase in life satisfaction afterwards.
The suspected cause of this happiness boost, according to Hon Yuen of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is a reduction in stress levels brought about by the park’s natural surroundings. Because we’re out in nature, we’re more likely to experience moments of quiet, calm, and tranquility.
Researchers at Kyoto University also found forest environments to be effective stress-reducers, especially for those experiencing chronic stress. The suggest that regular shinrin-yoku (also known as nature therapy) may help to “decrease the risk of psychosocial stress-related diseases”.
“Listening to birdsongs and observing animals in nature have shown to promote wellbeing, reduce stress, improve mood, and reduce attention fatigue. Natural aromas from wood and plants have calming effects and viewing nature reduces mental fatigue.”
Green spaces make healthy hearts
Although walking in general is considered to be a good exercise for the heart, walking through green spaces may provide even more positive effects. Take the Finnish study, for example, which concluded that urban forests or parks are more beneficial to heart health that urban city centres.
Or consider the Japanese researchers who found that a 2 hour walk in a forest park significantly lowered participants’ blood pressure. They also concluded that blood pressure was lower in participants who walked through the woods compared with participants who took a similar walk through a city environment.
Another Japanese study, comparing urbanites to nature-dwellers, revealed that, of the two groups, people who spent time in forests had lower blood pressure and heart rates.
And to quote the National Park Service once again, “[a] 30-minute visit to a park can improve heart health, circulation and lower cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure”.
May help combat depression
It turns out that, when it comes to walking walking, being out in nature may be the best way to reduce certain symptoms of depression. In particular rumination, which is the habit of overthinking and constantly revisiting negative thoughts.
Researchers from Stanford University conducted a study comparing ruminative thought patterns in both nature- and urban-walkers. As you might have guessed, the participants out in nature showed decreases in rumination. Interestingly, however, the city-walking group showed no improvement at all.
This may suggest that, although walking in any environment can reap similar physical health benefits, walking in nature may provide more of a positive psychological impact.
Strong shoulders make strong bodies. Not only do well-built shoulders look good, but they also form an integral part of a well-rounded exercise technique, helping to improve form and posture.
Stronger shoulders will also provide protection for your shoulder joints, helping to strengthen the muscles and reduce your risk of injury.
When it comes to building up the shoulders, we’re focussing on the deltoid muscles (commonly referred to as “delts”). These are made up of three sets of muscle fibres, or “heads”: anterior (front), lateral (middle), and posterior (rear).
Many people tend to place a lot of focus on the anterior deltoids when training, but for building greater stability and better posture it’s important to work the posterior deltoids too. With this in mind, we’ve tried to include a well-rounded selection so you can target all parts of the shoulder.
So let’s take a look at 5 great exercises for building and strengthening those shoulders!
Push press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep30avTSMB0
Good for: full body, explosiveness.
The push press develops upper-body strength, targets the abs, and conditions your rotator cuffs.
Strictly speaking this one gives more of a full-body workout. But it does allow you to handle more weight than most other shoulder exercises.
Dumbbell incline row
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI9UOVTFqy8
Good for: posterior deltoids, traps, back.
Side lateral raise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9LhHrHShs4
Good for: lateral and anterior deltoids.
For this one you just need a pair of light dumbbells and the ability to abduct your arms (move your arms up and away until they form a T-shape).
Side lateral raises specifically target the deltoid muscles, so they’re an excellent choice for isolated shoulder workouts.
Overhead squat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow58yHEl_Ls&t=16s
Good for: general shoulder strength and stability, core, mobility.
The overhead squat is an excellent mobility-training exercise, and can help to relieve tight pectorals and inflexible hips and knees. It’s also great for anyone with a weak core.
Standing overhead press (Military Press)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RlRDWO2jfg
Good for: general shoulder strength.
Simple but incredibly effective as a pure strength-building exercise. The standing overhead press is considered by many to be a foundational upper-body and core weight exercise.
Arnold Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VZGReJoRAM
Good for: anterior deltoids.
A twist on the overhead press developed by none other than 7-time Mr. Olympia title holder himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Need we say more?
The push-up. It’s a classic bodyweight exercise that’s been around forever. But in these modern times, with myriad machines and equipment to support and supercharge our workout regimes, the humble push-up is often dismissed.
But that’s a shame, because it’s an incredibly effective and versatile exercise, targeting multiple muscles and allowing you to workout in even the tightest spaces.
So to demonstrate just how much of a flexible all-rounder it really is, we thought we’d share 9 push-up variations which you can use to compliment workout sessions and improve your overall strength and endurance.
Windmill push-up
A challenging movement which is great for targeting the abs and building core stability.
Decline push-up
All you need for this is something to elevate your feet. Great for the upper chest and front of the shoulders.
Spider-man
Do it like Spider Man! A controlled, crawling variation, great for the core and sides of the torso.
Pike push-up
An excellent choice for beginners, the pike variation conditions the upper-body muscles without requiring you to press your full bodyweight.
Wide grip
Just like the original, only with the hands placed further apart. Great for building up the chest.
Medicine ball push-up
If you prefer exercising with equipment, grab a medicine ball and you’re good to go. This one is excellent for building core strength and stability. It’s also good for the pecs.
Incline push-up
Like the decline variation, only the opposite way around.
Exercise ball push-up
If you find medicine balls too small/heavy/hard to handle, this could be the alternative you’re looking for. It’s also a fantastic core stability exercise.
Bodyweight
There are endless ways to workout. But as with many other things in life, when it comes to exercise, variety is the key to success! Combining bodyweight training with weight-lifting, cardio, and machine-based exercises is an excellent way to develop functional and well-rounded fitness.
“I’d love to exercise more, but I just don’t have the time.” To most of us, that’s an all-too-familiar line. Because, let’s face it, people are busy these days. Finding an extra hour amidst our daily commitments to dedicate exclusively to working out is tough. But what if, instead of finding an hour, we just took one that we already used for something else?
Enter the Lunchtime Workout. A simple way to incorporate exercise into our daily lives. It may seem unusual and inconvenient at first, the idea of working out at work. But with the right mindset it can serve as an amazing way to keep fit and healthy without sacrificing valuable leisure/family time.
Here’s how to get more fitness from your lunch hour.
Plan
For both motivational and practical purposes, it’s always important to plan your lunchtime workout sessions in advance.
It helps a lot if you already know what you’ll be doing in advance. After all, you won’t have much time to spare. So the time you do have is best spent simply exercising instead of wondering what exercises you should be doing.
You also need to plan what you’ll be eating. Cold lunches always work best, as you won’t be using up time waiting for the microwave to ping. Salads or sandwiches prepped at home can be eaten post workout, so you don’t have to forgo eating in order to exercise either.
Hit the gym
Of course, the first port of call is the gym itself. If you happen to work within walking distance of a gym, consider signing up and dedicating part of your lunch break every day to a workout session.
The beauty of gyms is their convenience. They provide changing rooms, showers, and an excellent choice of exercise machines. So, if you’re close enough, it’s more than possible to get down, get changed, hit the treadmill for fifteen minutes, and be back at the office in time to eat.
It doesn’t have to be intense
Importantly, a lunchtime workout doesn’t have to consist of heart-pumping cardio exercise. Intense sessions are, after all, intense, and. . . sweaty. And not everyone has access to a shower and changing facilities at work, which makes the idea of vigorous exercise much less appealing.
But there are other, subtler, ways to squeeze your fitness regime into the lunchtime slot. . .
Think walking. The average walking speed is around 3mph. If you get an hour for your lunch, you could easily sneak in a 2 mile walk and still have plenty of time to spare afterwards.
There’s also cycling. If you already ride a bike to work, you could take it out for a quick lunchtime cycle around the block. Or, if neither of the above suit, you could simply do a dynamic stretch routine in the staff room.
But if you can go intense, you should
Obviously, as stated above, this isn’t a requirement. But if you have the time, space, and facilities to get in an intense workout on your lunch break, it’s an option you should consider taking.
This is because the most effective way of making up for time restrictions is by increasing the intensity. So if you only have 10 minutes to spare, turning up the difficulty level is a great way to get the most out of that time.
According to Phil Tyne of the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Centre, “Research has shown that even just 15 minutes of exercise can net you nearly the same effects as 60 minutes of working out, if you increase the intensity.”
So for short, quick bursts (ie a lunch break), a high intensity session will give you the most fitness bang for your buck. See here for some amazing quick workout ideas.
Set yourself up for the rest of the day
It’s easy to assume that exercising at lunchtime might leave you feeling tired and drained for the rest of the day. In reality, it’s the opposite way around. Exercise gets the blood flowing to your muscles, increases your oxygen levels, and leaves you feeling more alert and awake.
So a midday workout could in fact be the perfect antidote to the post-lunch slump that many of us experience in our working days. What’s really great about this is that it gives an extra dimension to the idea of working out at lunchtime. There’s the added motivation of being more productive and energised for the rest of the workday!
Have a happy and healthy work life
The importance of regular exercise can never be understated. And it’s even more important for those of us who work full-time jobs, especially desk jobs.
Exercise can improve our mood, lower our risk of disease, and promote better sleep. But often the hardest thing is simply finding the time to do it. Establishing a lunchtime workout routine is a really excellent way of fitting exercise into an otherwise busy work/life schedule.
