Are you looking for a way to optimize the time you spend at the gym? A workout method known as high-intensity interval training might offer the perfect solution.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) refers to any workout that involves alternating between bursts of intense exercise and low-intensity recovery periods. An example of a HIIT exercise would be alternating between one minute of sprinting and two minutes of walking, repeating the interval five times for a 15-minute total workout.

HIIT is a simple but highly effective method for increasing your cardiovascular health and overall fitness level. Here are four main reasons why you may want to try it out.

1. Burn more calories

HIIT has been found to burn more calories than traditional, moderate-intensity exercises given the same period of time, or to burn the same number of calories in a shorter period of time. The high-intensity intervals maximize the heart rate and push the body into an anaerobic state, increasing its caloric expenditure. Not only do you burn more calories while working out, but HIIT also increases your metabolism for several hours afterwards. This is because your body requires more oxygen to return to a pre-workout state following HIIT, which is sometimes known as an “afterburn effect.”

2. Increase your endurance

You might assume that an exercise method which focuses on short bursts of high-intensity exertion wouldn’t do much to help build your endurance, but this is far from the case with HIIT. In fact, studies have shown that HIIT not only helps to build endurance but that the endurance carries over to other types of exercise as well. For example, practicing HIIT on a stationary bike will increase the length of time you can sustain riding at a moderate intensity as well as how long you can sustain other workouts such as running or rowing.

3. Enjoy versatility and variation

Because HIIT describes a way of exercising rather than a specific type of exercise, it is highly versatile and can be adapted to all sorts of workout styles. Running, biking, rowing, jump rope, and bodyweight exercises are all very well suited to HIIT. The concept of high- and low-intensity intervals can be applied as easily to an exercise bike as to high knees and jumping jacks. This means that you can do HIIT just about anywhere and anytime, no matter what time, space, and equipment constraints you may have.

4. Maximize the efficiency of your workouts

The bottom line is that, when done right and when you truly push yourself to your max during the high-intensity intervals, HIIT is one of the most time-efficient workouts you can do. It is a fantastic option for people with tight schedules who simply can’t devote much of their day to exercising. It’s also a good choice if you have always had a hard time sticking to other workout routines because you get easily bored. With the high-intensity and short duration of HIIT, there simply isn’t much time or opportunity for boredom!

If HIIT sounds like a good option for you, then there’s nothing stopping you from giving it a try. Just about any of your favourite moderate-intensity exercises can be broken up into high- and low-intensity intervals, allowing you to reap greater rewards in a shorter amount of time.