

That’s why it’s always best to check with a healthcare professional before starting to exercise or adding a new activity to your fitness program.Īlthough SIT has several benefits, a 2014 review found that it’s unlikely to promote regular participation in physical activity in a largely sedentary population ( 1).įor starters, the strenuous nature of SIT may be a deterrent for those new to regular physical activity. This also applies to heart conditions, high blood pressure, and other medical issues that may require a modified exercise program or supervision from a doctor or physical therapist. In these cases, sprinting could do more harm than good. If you’re new to exercise or just getting back to it, it’s best to take some time to build up your cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength before attempting SIT.Ī healthcare professional may recommend that you avoid SIT if you have any ankle, knee, hip, or other lower body injuries or chronic pain. Some people should not do this type of workout unless they receive approval from a doctor or another healthcare professional.īecause you use nearly maximal effort during the work period, SIT requires a baseline fitness level. Overall, it’s incredibly demanding and taxing on your body. Like any other form of exercise, SIT has some disadvantages. What are the disadvantages of sprint interval training? Because of the rest periods, finding an exact calorie number can be difficult. Summaryĭetermining the exact calorie burn from a session of SIT depends on your body weight, activity duration, and overall intensity.
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If you’re interested, you can look online for free sites and apps that can help you determine the number of calories burned during a specific activity.Īdditionally, smartwatches and some heart rate monitors can give you an estimate based on your heart rate during an activity.īecause SIT requires intense work periods followed by rest periods, it may be difficult to estimate your calorie burn based on pre-designed charts. Using a physical activity calorie counter can help you pinpoint how many calories you’ve burned based on your body weight, movement duration, and activity. This holds especially true if you’re performing active rest such as walking as compared with passive rest such as sitting or standing still. SIT is considered vigorous physical activity.Īlthough the highest calorie burn comes from the sprint intervals, you’re also burning calories during the rest periods. How many calories do you burn with sprint interval training? SIT can improve athletic performance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and anaerobic fitness. In a 2018 study, 16 trained trail runners completed 4–7 bouts of 30 seconds of maximal intensity sprinting, interspersed with 4 minutes of recovery ( 4).Īfter doing this just 3 times a week for 2 weeks, they had improvements in running performance metrics like endurance, strength, and power ( 4). SIT also improves running performance in trained athletes. In a 2016 study in previously inactive participants, 14 people ages 40–50 and 14 people ages 20–30 performed 4–6 30-second all-out sprints with 4 minutes of active recovery in between ( 3).Īfter completing this workout 3 times per week for 4 weeks, both age groups had improved anaerobic and aerobic fitness ( 3). Meanwhile, “aerobic fitness” refers to activities that raise your heart rate and breathing for a sustained period of time, such as walking and jogging. During this type of activity, your body breaks down glucose, or sugar, for energy without using oxygen. “Anaerobic fitness” refers to activities that are generally of short length and high intensity.

It allows you to put in maximal effort in a minimum amount of time, and it’s a great way to improve athletic performance and aerobic and anaerobic fitness ( 2). SIT is an excellent workout to add to an advanced fitness routine.


What are the benefits of sprint interval training?
