I started running on my lunch breaks a couple of years ago and it didn’t last long. I gave up after 6 months or so as I found it boring. When I started it up again at the start of this year, I wanted to do it differently. So I decided to mix up a run with the concept of HIIT. My version of a HIIT run.
So HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training, which basically means it is a cardio exercise that is based around short periods of intense exercise. The theory is that you have a push of intense exercise, followed by a short period of a less intense exercise. As some of you may know I started the 90 Day Challenge with The Body Coach, this was the first time I had come across a HIIT workout. At the moment I do a HIIT workout on the trampoline, on a Wednesday evening and on Monday lunchtimes I have started doing a HIIT run on my lunch break. This is my concept of a HIIT run, this may not be the official way of doing it. It is working for me, I am happy with the outcome and thought I would share.
Things to think about before
As I was doing HIIT workouts at home, I knew what my heart rate was when I pushed myself and when I didn’t. So, when I pushed myself my heart rate is anywhere around 170-180 bpm. When I wasn’t pushing myself as much it was about 140 bpm. This gave me my window of beats per minute for my run. I also had to think about the route I wanted to do, as I wanted to do about a 30 minute run. Oh, and you will definitely need a way of monitoring your heart rate – I am literally checking my watch every few minutes.
How I do my HIIT run
First of all I do a good few minutes of running to build up my heart rate and to warm up my body. On average I am doing a 3-4 minute run. When I feel warmed up and gasping for breath I know I have probably done 3/4 minutes. I check my heart rate and if its over 170 bpm I slow down to a walk or jog.
Whilst walking/jogging I monitor my heart rate and I do not let it get below 140 bpm in this low intensity period. So I walk until my heart rate has settled and then I push it again in to a run/sprint.
It doesn’t take long for your heart rate to dip down in low intensity periods and then back up again in high intensity periods. It amazes me. As you can see from the photo below, my heart rate dipped up and down throughout the half an hour run.
That’s it really! Nothing too stressful. It’s not about the speed I run, as in I don’t have to run the fastest and it’s not about the distance I run, as in I don’t have to run the farthest. It is simply about doing a 30 minute workout and controlling my heart rate by pushing it in short intervals.
You could add The Body Coach methodology into the mix and do 40 seconds of running and 20 seconds of walking for 30 minutes. But I find that when our bodies are all different, we will all do this differently and some may not feel the effects. So I work on my own heart rate, it’s almost like a bespoke HIIT run made just for you! Oh and don’t forget your water…
Check out my Instagram Stories for updates on my Mummy Fitness journey. I would love to hear more about the exercises you do, things that you find easy to maintain and plans you can stick too. Also little sneaky hacks to do some exercise around the kiddies busy schedules.
Very inspiring!