High-Intensity Interval Training Can Improve Cardiorespiratory Health



Cardiorespiratory fitness is the fitness of your lungs and heart. To improve cardiorespiratory fitness, you have to up your intensity! HIIT training, or high-intensity interval training, requires you to alternate moderate-intensity exercises with high-intensity exercises to get and keep your heart rate up.  Incorporating HIIT workouts offer a safe and effective way to get fitter and adapt your body to more intense exercise.

HIIT workouts increase your cardiovascular fitness more quickly and greater than other kinds of exercise. In addition, it can save you time. You need only 25-30 minutes for an effective HIIT session. You still burn the same amount of calories as a longer workout. Some people also find HIIT workouts more fun and interesting than moderate-intensity options, since they are fast faced and the exercises change.

To create and use HIIT workouts effectively, you'll need to be able to distinguish between moderate- and high-intensity exercises. The easy way to tell the difference is using a talk test. You should be able to talk during moderate-intensity exercise but struggle to say more than a few words without taking a breath during high-intensity exercise.

Before incorporating HIIT routines, work out with moderate intensity for several sessions or until moderate intensity is comfortable for a minimum of 20 minutes. Once you reach 20 minutes, you can add a HIIT routine into your training. Moderate intensity exercise options include biking, walking, jogging, or using a machine like an elliptical.

When you plan to do a HIIT workout, starting with five to 10 minutes of relatively easy exercise to warm up your body. Then, switch to high-intensity work for 30 seconds before swapping back to moderate exercise for up to three minutes. Once you recover completely, repeat the process two or three times over the next 30 minutes.

Remember that working at a high intensity does not mean you should be exerting your maximum effort. If you experience discomfort or pain in your chest, lightheadedness, or severe shortness of breath, stop exercising immediately. If you experience unusual fatigue or joint or muscle pain, talk with your doctor about your symptoms.


As your body adjusts to the HIIT program, increase the frequency of the high-intensity intervals, up to five or six intervals per workout instead of two or three. In addition, you can increase the time of the interval to make it more challenging.