Anytime I tell someone that I run for fun, it’s usually always the same reaction; A raised eyebrow and a scared look as if there’s something wrong with me. Trust me, I get it. If you came to me 2 years ago and said that you ran for fun, I would have given the same reaction. Running cross country gave me a different outlook on running and helped me to learn to enjoy running, but I get that not everyone enjoys running. If you shuddered at the idea of running, don’t worry because I’m here to tell you different ways to workout that are just like running, but without the running part.

If you’ve never heard of a HIIT workout, I’m sure you will soon. This type of workout is starting to become very common and more and more workouts are being geared toward a HIIT style. Now you’re probably wondering, what is HIIT. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and can be customized to your liking, which is why they’re becoming so popular. I enjoy HIIT workouts because they’re flexible and they’re especially good for when I don’t have a big time slot to workout.

There’s many different youtube videos or workout apps that utilize HIIT workouts, and I’m sure you can find one that you enjoy to do. The main idea of HIIT workouts is that you do an on-off pattern. For example, if I’m doing jumping squats, I’ll do them for 30 seconds, and then rest for 15, and then do another set, usually for 3 sets. After I’m done with that set, I will move onto the next move. This type of exercise is very effective because you’re working for more time than you’re resting, which is good for burning more calories. You burn lots of calories during a HIIT workout, but you also continue to burn calories throughout your day from them.

What’s the best part about a HIIT workout? You can choose whatever workouts you want to do. If you love to do upper body, then you can do just upper body. If you hate to do upper body, then you can just focus on your lower body. The best part is that if you want to challenge yourself and do an exercise you hate, for me that’s mountain climbers, you only have to do them for the amount of sets you’re doing and then never have to do them again. You’re only working for a total of, in my case a minute and thirty seconds, on that specific workout. If you think about it, that’s not long at all. I feel that with HIIT workouts I can motivate and push myself to do more and work harder since I’m only the exercise for a short amount of time and then I never have to do it again for the rest of that workout.

HIIT workouts are great for cardio and also help with endurance. You’re pushing yourself through a short period of time but have short breaks to catch your breath. They’re great to push yourself and to feel just as great as you would if you went on a run. Also, another perk that I like about HIIT workouts is that i could do a workout for 30 minutes and burn more calories in that time period than I would on a 30 minute run.

Here’s a quick HIIT workout to start your workout with. I recommend doing 5 sets of 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off, but whatever you feel comfortable with doing will be just as affective. Good luck!