Incorporating HIIT into your workout routine can be an exciting way to make sure you stay in shape even without regular access to the gym.
HIIT or strength interval workouts can be tough on the body but can also be a vital source of “mixing it up” that can challenge your muscles to grow more. Strength interval workouts are *especially* effective if you’ve never done them before specifically because your muscles aren’t used to working out that way and it will challenge them to gain mass. Try incorporating strength interval workouts into your daily routine or while you’re at work to keep up with your fitness if you’re still stuck at home. Not being able to go to the gym in person is obviously a bummer, but you don’t need fancy equipment to stay in shape!
Ten Minute Workout: Alternate lunges and jumping rope.
This workout is great for those who want to keep it simple and also work on their cardio, since it will get your pulse racing. This is a fairly simple one to incorporate into your day-to-day, though it obviously requires one piece of equipment: a jump rope. Take ten minutes apart from whatever Zoom meeting or conference call you have to be on and do 40 seconds of lunges (alternating legs) followed by 20 seconds of rest. Repeat this five times. Then, do 40 seconds of jumping rope followed by 20 seconds of rest and repeat that five times. This is an incredibly brief workout to inject into your day but if you do it with the right intensity it can really make a difference. This is also one you can do multiple times a day and really adjust to your comfort and skill level.
Ten Minute Workout: Squats, push-ups, and planks
This workout is great for those looking to focus on strength training and it’s a bit more involved than the one above. Alternate between one minute of squats, one minute of push-ups, and one minute of planks with no rest in between. It requires you to switch positions a lot faster but works harder on the muscle definition of both your upper and lower body. It’s more of a challenge to do it this way, but the results speak for themselves. Additionally, the quick movements required to transition between the three without breaks is a form of exercise in itself.
Ten Minute Workout: Alternate stair running and burpees
This workout is great for those who like running and being flexible while working out. If you’re feeling antsy locked up in the house all day, this one certainly requires a slightly larger range of motion. If you have stairs in your house, use those, or really any object that you have to step up slightly to reach will do. For two minutes, step up and down the stairs — if you have a full staircase in your house or apartment building, you can easily substitute this for going up and down a flight of stairs, although one stair will easily get the job done — then, for 2 minutes, jump down into burpees. Repeat five times. The resulting workout is great for conditioning both your upper body – burpees – and lower body – stair running.
