How 10 Minutes of HIIT Cardio Will Change How You View Working Out

By Alicia Geigel on April 23, 2017

With the summer approaching, almost everyone (including you, I bet) is researching how to get that perfect beach body and how to get it fast. As a college student, I understand how working out can cause conflict in your schedule, as there is so much to balance.

Attending classes, studying and doing homework, maintaining a social life, going to work, etc. can all be legitimate reasons to keep you from working out, as each task can take up a reasonable chunk of your day. What if I told you that there was a way to work out and keep your current schedule? Say hello to HIIT cardio.

What is HIIT cardio?

HIIT cardio, or high-intensity interval training, is noted by many in the health and fitness world as the best way to burn fat while maintaining muscle. According to Mark Moon of MuscleandFitness.com, HIIT melts away fat through a “stop-start system of training that’s transferable to almost any exercise … it combines high-intensity, calorie-torching periods of activity with low-intensity recovery periods for an overall duration of as little as 10 minutes each session.”

Ten minutes? Did I hear that right? Yes, just 10 minutes of high intense interval training can not only help you lose fat, but it can also maintain your muscle structure.

Image via Flickr 

How do I engage in a HIIT workout?

As stated before, HIIT cardio workouts only take approximately 10 minutes. I know that I easily waste 10 minutes scrolling through social media or even flipping through channels on TV. You can fit in this short workout in between class breaks or before or after an intense study session.

The better catch? You don’t even have to leave your dorm or apartment to have a HIIT workout! Half of the struggle of working out is dragging yourself to the gym down the street or even to the lower level of your apartment building. With HIIT cardio, you control what kind of cardio you want to do and where you want to do it; what could be better for a college student?

Image via Flickr

Workout tips and tricks

For beginners, Mark Moon suggests to work out for 20 seconds and then recover for 40 seconds, 10 times. HIIT cardio activities can range from jogging in place to jump roping, and jumping jacks to short sprints. As long as you get your heart pumping fast for those quick 20 seconds of workout, you know you’re doing it right!

Trust me, after 10 sets of these, you’ll be exhausted, and you will be even more confused when you see that it’s only 10 minutes after your initial start time! As in any workout, make sure to keep yourself hydrated and have a healthy, high protein post workout snack to replenish your body. This type of workout is successful when paired with a healthy diet, so ditch that Egg McMuffin to see even better results!

Help relieve your stress, boost your energy, and strengthen your confidence with these short workouts, and believe me, you’re going to wish you knew about this sooner!

Image via Flickr

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