Want to know which workout is the best for your body type and lifestyle? Rachel Crothers, a personal trainer at Ultimate Performance Hong Kong, breaks down the benefits of HIIT and LISS
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), as the name implies, involves bouts of high-intensity periods of exercise, alternated with low to moderate periods of recovery. LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State) is generally light-to-moderate activities, such as jogging or hiking, that can be performed for extended periods of time.
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If you’re someone with body composition goals, weight training should form the base of any good exercise regime. However, both HIIT and LISS are forms of cardio that can complement your strength training, and benefit your overall health.
The benefits of HIIT
- It increases your overall work capacity and fitness. You will be able to tolerate a high level of intensity for longer, which transfers to better endurance during all types of exercise. You might even notice that you start to get more done in the office as well.
- Raises your metabolic rate through increased oxygen consumption. EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption) is also increased, which means burning more calories after the session. Bonus!
- Time and cost efficient—which is great for those that are busy but need to get their cardio in. You can also do HIIT without any equipment, meaning you can get sweaty anytime, anywhere.
