Should You Perform a DAILY HIIT Session?
High Intensity Interval Training has become a popular tool for training whilst we are now limited to our homes. But, does it have its consequences?
Social media connects us all through these tough times. Currently there is a plethora of daily HIIT sessions from the qualified to the unqualified, from the experienced to the inexperienced. But, are any of them offering guidance on how you plan your week and whether you should be tuning in to train daily?
There is currently no guidance or uniform body that is policing social media and the fitness content available to the general public. As individual therapists, trainers or even gym companies, social media and remote consultations are now the new norm due to the social distancing measures. This has led to an increase in home work out videos and in particular daily HIIT sessions. Unfortunately, surrounding this content there is limited education or guidance on how to utilise these sessions and plan a weekly exercise routine. Further to this, the content seems to be about daily exercising without considering whether this will cause an injury or what to do if the exercises are painful.
Firstly, what is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? It is a form of interval training with a work to rest ratio determining the length of each exercise and thus the session. The aim is to increase the heart rate and perform exercises at near maximal levels. The exercises can be varied with a mixture of weighted lifts and movements and impact-related exercises. HIIT can be challenging on the body and therefore requires sufficient rest days planned around it.
So, should we be performing HIIT sessions daily? The simple answer is no. How do you therefore utilise the content that is being produced and how do you plan your week of exercise without dramatically increasing the risk of injuring yourself?
The first question to ask is what is your body used to? If you average 2x HIIT classes a week and suddenly increase to 6x a week because of the working from home restrictions, then this jump in frequency of HIIT sessions will likely lead to an injury. In running we talk about the 10% rule, increase your mileage, frequency or intensity by 10% each week and the same theory could be applied to HIIT sessions across 6-12weeks.
Secondly, are you in pain? How does your body feel during and following a HIIT session? Are any of the exercises painful? Do you wake up the next day with muscle or joint soreness? Have you recovered from the previous days exercise before you repeat it again? If you are completing exercises and these are painful, do you know why and should you continue? If you are struggling with pain, I would recommend you stop and seek a professional opinion. This may be reaching out to the qualified instructor for advice on altering the exercise or a medical professional to help diagnose the injury. If you feel you have not fully recovered the next day then you could swap in another exercise modality or take a rest day. With the sub maximal levels of HIIT and the energy systems it utilises a minimum of 48hrs between sessions is good rule of thumb.
HIIT as the name implies is intense and at high speeds but, are there other ways of training you can combine to reach your goals? Away from HIIT sessions there are numerous other forms of strength training or cardiovascular exercises that can be utilised. Other blogs have covered:
Strength Training Exercises for the Legs at Home- CLICK HERE
A Guide To Starting Running - CLICK HERE
If you are worried about loosing your fitness and have increased your training frequency to address this, please take a look at how long your fitness lasts so that you calm your worries - CLICK HERE
Currently GP’s and physio’s within the NHS are being utilised away from the musculoskeletal world and have been redeployed to the front line. Private Physio and Consultants clinics are physically closed and are only operating on a virtual basis due to reducing 1:1 non-essential contact. So where will you go if you are in pain? I hope that we can continue to try and guide you away from injuries over the next 6-12weeks.