To be a well-rounded "fit" person, you can't just focus on strength and mobility training. Cardio and endurance are essential to crush your goals and improve your health.

HIIT, aka High-Intensity Interval Training, is one form of exercise that sounds, well, INTENSE. Before I started doing HIIT, I was intimidated; HIIT was like the popular girl in school I could never approach! However, after trying HIIT, it quickly became one of my favorite forms of exercise. Let's break it down so you feel comfortable taking on a HIIT class!

First of all, what is HIIT? It stands for High-Intensity Interval Training: A training technique where you use short bursts of energy, giving 100% to each exercise. The intervals of all-out energy immediately follow intervals of rest. Each working interval should leave you breathless, needing that interval of rest. HIIT is your solution if a lack of time to exercise is the biggest hindrance to creating a sustainable workout routine. It only requires 15-30 minutes and should only be done 2-3 times a week. An adequately programmed HIIT workout should only take 15-30 minutes to get the job done!

HIIT is quick: Quick intervals and a quick workout - but very effective. Training in this way gets your heart rate up and keeps it up. High-intensity exercise increases your body's need for oxygen, so while the workout itself may be short, your body will continue to need oxygen during your recovery. This ensures your body will continue to burn calories throughout the day, raise your metabolism, and burn fat. To learn more about the science behind this, I highly recommend checking out this article from ACE Fitness: https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/5073/8-reasons-hiit-workouts-are-so-effective/.

The biggest reason I fell in love with HIIT and decided to create a class to share my passion for it is its ability for adaptation. When it comes to HIIT Me Up, adaptation is two-fold. First, EVERYONE is welcome, no matter your fitness level, your body, your gender, your age, or your reason for showing up. Throughout the class, I provide modifications to make each movement more accessible or more advanced. The beauty of HIIT is that it is simply about you giving your all with no comparison to the person next to you.

Second, no workout is the same. Your body will never get used to the same movement pattern. I love to incorporate Different movements, different workout structures, and even games (I know!) Not only does this keep our minds busy, but it lets us have some fun. If you're going to put 100% into something, have fun doing it!