Five HIIT Exercises to Maximize Calorie Burn

When it comes to working out, you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck with HIIT exercises. If you’re trying to burn fat and you’re short on time, incorporate some high intensity interval training or HIIT. During this kind of training, you’re going to spike your heart rate for a short period of time, recover and repeat.

Here’s an example: jog for one minute, then sprint as fast as you can for 30-45 seconds. Resume jogging for one minute and repeat. Do this for 10 to 15 minutes and you have a great HIIT workout. If you’re new to running, check out my 5 tips to get your running mojo.

What are some other great ways to incorporate HIIT workouts? Here are five HIIT exercises to maximize calorie burn:

1. Burpees
2. Sprints
3. Jumping jacks
4. Jump rope
5. Jump squats

The best way to recover from these exercises is to walk, jog or march in place. The key is to bring down your heart rate. You can also vary your ratio — 1 minute HIIT and 1 minute recovery. If you’re just starting out, try the HIIT portion for 30 seconds and build your endurance.

Low Impact HIIT Options

To limit the wear and tear on your ankles and knees, try to perform the exercises without jumping. For the jump squats, squat and then do a side shuffle. For the jumping jacks, march in place and clap your hands over your head. Moving your arms above your heart will help get your heart rate up. Replace sprints with the bike, stairmill, elliptical or other machinery, if possible.

If you’ve never done HIIT, start slowly. Try doing 5 minutes and build from there. Once you’ve reached 15 minutes, try to incorporate a HIIT workout two to three times per week.

And don’t forget to warm up before you start your HIIT session!