It doesn’t take much time to improve your health. HIIT has become a staple in the fitness world and for good reason: it’s the time-efficient, super-effective way to get fitter that’s backed by science.
But it doesn’t always have to mean donning your lycra – in fact, research shows that as little as a minute of HIIT can benefit the body. The workouts below take two minutes each, one for each hour of your working day. They target every muscle group in the body, require no equipment and can be done in very little space.
The benefits? You’ll boost your circulation and energy levels every hour, so no more wanting to sleep face down on your keyboard; it will increase your cardio fitness, muscle strength and core stability, and you’ll continue to burn calories even after you’re back at your desk!
The workouts
Before doing each workout, warm up by gently jogging on the spot for 30 seconds and then standing and raising one knee at a time in front of you – 10 on each leg. Work as hard as you can for the 20-second bursts of exercise. At the end of the workout, pace around for 30 seconds to cool down and stretch out any muscles that feel tight.
Each workout follows the same pattern: do the first three exercises for 20 seconds each, with 10 seconds of rest in between each one. Do the fourth exercise for 30 seconds:
The exercises
Plank
Lie on your front, hands beneath your shoulders, elbows pointing back. Tuck your toes under and push yourself up until your arms are straight, pulling your navel up towards your spine so you feel the core stability muscles around your middle engage. Keep looking at the floor and make sure your bottom is neither sagging towards the floor nor pushing up towards the ceiling.
Press-ups
From a plank position, bend your elbows to lower yourself towards the floor. Letting your elbows flare out to the side works the chest harder; keeping them nearer your sides focuses more on the triceps. A full-press up is touching your nose almost to the ground, but you may not get that far to start with. The most important thing is to keep a straight line from your knees, to hips, to head. Balance on your knees rather than your feet to make it easier if needed.
Jumping jacks
Stand with feet together and hands by your sides. Simultaneously, jump your feet out sideways and swing your arms out to the side and up until your fingertips meet above your head. Jump back to starting position.
Bottom kicks
Jog on the spot, flicking your heels up to kick your bottom.
High knees
Jog on the spot while bringing your knees up high in front of you. Use your arms to really drive the movement and go as fast as you can. If this is too vigorous for you, do the same action but as though you’re walking rather than running.
Mountain climbers
From a plank position, lift your right foot off the floor and drive the knee towards your chest. Place the foot back and repeat with your left knee. Don’t stick your bottom high in the air and keep a rapid flow.
Shadow box
Stand with feet hip-width apart and bring fists up into a boxing position. Punch upwards with the right hand then the left, then punch across your body with your right hand then left, allowing your body to rotate towards the direction of the punch and heel to come off the floor.
Bear crawl
Kneel on all fours, hands directly under your shoulders, knees under your hips. Tuck your toes under and lift your knees to hover a few inches above the ground. Now crawl forwards – right arm at same time as left leg and vice versa – for six paces, then crawl backwards for six. Keep your abdominals engaged and back as flat as possible (imagine you’re balancing something on it).
Reverse lunges
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step back with your left foot, lowering the front knee to a right angle or deeper. Focus on using the glute in your right buttock to power back up to standing. Repeat with the right leg.
Sumo squats
Stand with feet wide apart, toes turned slightly out (about 45-degree angle), hands clasped in front of your chest. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees in the direction of your toes (but don’t go beyond them) to lower yourself until your knees are as near to 90 degrees as possible. Keep your weight in your heels. Come back to standing.
Squats or jump squats
Stand with feet just wider than hip-width apart. Cross your arms and place your hands on opposite shoulders. Keeping your torso upright and chest facing forward, bend your knees and stick your bottom out, spread your weight through your heels and ensure that your knees don’t stick out beyond the end of your toes. For a full squat, you’re aiming to lower your bottom to knee height while keeping your chest facing forward, but go as far as is comfortable. Return to standing. To make squats harder, add in a little jump at the top of the move.
Bicycle crunches
Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor, hands touching your ears, elbows out to the side. Simultaneously, lift your feet and head off the floor and begin to slowly move your legs in a pedalling motion. As your right knee comes towards you, bring your left elbow towards it and vice versa with the left knee and right elbow. Keep your torso still by engaging your core stability muscles.
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