The IDEAL warm-up, workout, and cooldown to leave you feeling super energised.
HIIT me with your rhythm stick. Actually, don’t; we’re feeling rather sore from all the working out we’ve been doing. Instead, we’d love some guidance on a high intensity workout which doesn’t take loads of time and can be done at home.
You’ve come to the right place. With coronavirus limiting our ability to leave the house, it can be challenging trying to find opportunities to exercise. Fortunately, Nuffield Health – the UK’s largest healthcare charity – have therefore put together a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout designed to improve cardiovascular and overall fitness. With zero equipment required, this workout can be done anywhere, in any space at home, and can be easily slotted into your day.
Here, Nuffield Health Fitness Development Manager, Jo Seldon, takes us through seven HIIT exercises designed to suit all fitness levels. The routine will take around 25 minutes to complete, including warm-up and cool-down. Within the routine you will work through the seven exercises, three times, spending 20 seconds on each exercise followed by a 10 second rest. So, without further ado, here’s how to do HIIT at home with no equipment with the IDEAL warm-up, workout and cool-down to leave you feeling super energised.
THE WARM UP
Gentle jogging: Begin jogging at a steady pace on the spot. Gradually increase your speed every minute until you are slightly out of breath but can still hold a conversation. Do this for five minutes, until you feel warmed up and ready to begin the main workout.
THE WORKOUT
Sprint on the spot: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides. Keep your back straight and head up. Begin by running on the spot, then gradually increase your speed until you are sprinting. Pump your arms as fast as you can and lift your knees up to your chest, high and fast.
Wide hands push up: Start with your hands on the floor under your chest, then lift up onto your toes, ensuring that your back stays flat. Lower your body so that your chest gets as close to the floor as possible, and push back up through your hands. Repeat the move, ensuring that you keep your hips up and back straight throughout.
For an easier option, drop to your knees to the floor to perform the exercise, making sure that you pay particular attention on keeping your core engaged.
Jump squat: Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with your toes turned out slightly, your abs braced, and your shoulders relaxed. Hinge at the hips to push your bum back and lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, in a squat position. Drive through your heels and explode off the floor into a jump. Land softly then use the momentum from landing to move back into your next squat.
Jump lunge: Start with your feet just wider than hip width apart, keeping your posture tall and spine straight. Step your right leg forward and lower yourself until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle (or one inch off the ground). Your weight should be balanced between both legs here. From this position jump high and switch leg positions at the top of the jump landing with the opposite leg forwards.
For a harder variation, continue to jump lunge from one leg to the other so that you are performing one continuous exercise.
Lateral plyo squats: To perform the exercise, bring your feet close together, keeping your knees soft (bent slightly) and your shoulders back and down. Making sure to keep your core tight, step out wide to the right and squat down. Come back to the centre, and repeat on the opposite side. To make this move harder, add a jump in the middle.
Spiderman push up: To perform this move, start in a push up position, with your hands underneath your shoulders on the floor, your back flat and your feet hip distance apart. Staggering your hands, lower your torso down to the ground and bring your right knee to your hip, making sure that your hips don’t hit the ground. Repeat the move on the opposite side.
For an easier variation on this exercise, bring your knees down to the ground and perform the move, still making sure that your hips don’t touch the ground.
Jump outs: With your feet hip width apart, put your weight onto your heels and lower yourself into a squat, placing hands flat onto the floor in front of you and shifting your weight onto your hands. Jump both feet back, landing in a plank position. Then, jump feet forwards back to a low squat position, then stand back up.
For a harder variation, jump in, and jump up off the floors, bringing your hands over your head as you do so.
THE COOL DOWN
Stretch it out: Walk slowly on the spot, making sure that you feel relaxed and stretched out. When you are ready, come to a standstill and roll your shoulders backwards in a reverse movement. Repeat this, and then switch to rolling your shoulders in a forward motion.
Bring your arms overhead so that hands are clasped together, with your feet hip distance apart. Lower your arms down towards the floor and then raise them back up. Finally, tip your arms to one side so that you feel a stretch all the way down, and then repeat with the other side.
We hope you enjoyed reading about your new HIIT workout. Now, turn words into workouts!