If you aren’t getting the results you want from HIIT workouts, make sure you don’t make these mistakes during the routine.
When it comes to a workout program, HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is considered one of the most common and effective. This exercise routine alternates between short bursts of intense training and periods of rest or low-intensity workouts. While HIIT can be effective not only in helping you lose weight, it can also help promote better heart health, strengthen your lungs, and protect you from chronic disease. However, you must do it correctly. If training hasn’t given you the results you need, you may be making these mistakes.
What is HIIT?
HIIT is high-intensity interval training. It is a form of exercise that alternates short periods of intense exercise with brief periods of rest or low-intensity activity. A study published in the journal Environmental research and public healthstates that repeated short bursts of intense activity are performed with “near maximal” or “total” effort. These bursts typically last 30 seconds to 4 minutes. These are followed by periods of lower-intensity exercise, such as walking or slow jogging, says fitness expert Dhruva Sivakumar. Some examples of HIIT include sprinting, burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, and resistance training exercises like push-ups and squats.
How does HIIT help you?
The benefits of HIIT are numerous. Here’s a brief description of how HIIT can help your body.
- Can be done quickly: These are quick workouts, often lasting 10 to 30 minutes. So you don’t need to book hours outside of your busy schedule.
- Increases metabolism: These workouts can boost your metabolism, leading to increased calorie burn even after your workout. This would contribute to faster weight loss.
- Better heart health: Regular HIIT workouts can strengthen your heart and lungs. It helps improve cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart muscle. It increases the pumping efficiency of the heart, allowing it to pump more blood with each beat.
- Increases muscle strength: When it comes to muscular endurance and strength, HIIT can help you build muscle and improve your overall fitness. These workouts trigger the release of growth hormone, which plays a crucial role in muscle growth and repair.
- Reduces the risk of chronic diseases: Regular workouts can help reduce inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is linked to various diseases, including heart disease, cancer and arthritis.
What are some common mistakes people make when doing HIIT?
Although HIIT can help us in many ways, there are some common mistakes people make when doing this workout. Here are some of them:
1. Ignoring adequate rest between exercises
Insufficient rest between exercises can lead to overtraining and injury, while excessive rest can reduce training intensity and effectiveness. Getting adequate rest periods is an important part of HIIT. This helps us get more out of the workout. A study, published in the Journal of Exercise and Fitness Scienceindicates that work-to-rest ratios of 3:1 and 2:1 can improve aerobic power.
How to prevent:
- Follow a structured HIIT workout plan that includes proper rest intervals. A common work-to-rest ratio is 1:1 or 2:1, depending on your fitness level.
2. Neglecting warm-up or cool-down
A good warm-up session has been shown to improve subsequent performance during training, says this study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Without a proper warm-up, muscles and joints are less prepared for any strenuous activity, which will lead to an increased risk of injury. Cooldowns help keep muscles flexible and prevent them from contracting after exercise. Without them, muscles can become stiff, which can reduce their flexibility over time.
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How to prevent:
- Take 5 to 10 minutes to do light cardio, such as jogging or cycling, and stretches, such as leg swings or arm circles, to prepare the body for high-intensity exercise.
- Perform lower-intensity versions of the exercises that will be performed in the HIIT workout during the warm-up to prepare the body for the high-intensity training style.
3. Overtraining
High-intensity interval training puts a lot of strain on the body, and pushing too hard can lead to burnout or injury while training. This may result in decreased performance. A single session of HIIT can also lead to exercise-induced muscle damage, says this study published in the journal Environmental research and public health. A common mistake is to believe that more is always better. Ultimately, this leads to fatigue, injury, and loss of motivation or enjoyment of exercising.
How to prevent:
- Limit HIIT sessions to 3-4 days per week with at least one recovery session between each HIIT session. Include strength training and steady-state cardio every other day to incorporate a well-rounded fitness routine.

Things to Keep in Mind When Doing HIIT
If you want your HIIT workout to work well for you, make sure to follow these points:
- Pace the workout: Avoid pushing too hard and too soon. Start with a comfortable intensity and gradually increase the intensity.
- Favor form rather than volume or repetitions: It is essential to focus on exercise technique rather than speed or intensity to avoid injury.
- Pay attention to body signals: If anyone feels dizzy, tired, or in pain, take a break or adjust the intensity.
Summary
Even though HIIT workouts can be incredibly effective, these common mistakes can harm our bodies. Things such as overtraining, which can lead to injury and burnout, neglecting proper warm-up and cool-down routines, which can increase the risk of injury, and improper form during exercises can also reduce their effectiveness and potentially lead to injury. HIIT includes periods of rest between periods where a person does less intense activities. This should not be taken lightly. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can maximize the benefits of HIIT workouts and achieve your fitness goals.
Related FAQs
Who should avoid HIIT?
Beginners or anyone returning to training after a long time, people with heart or breathing problems, pregnant women, and people recovering from injury or surgery or who have joint problems should avoid HIIT.
Can you do HIIT every day?
No, you shouldn’t do HIIT every day. Although HIIT is a very effective workout, it is important to give your body enough time to recover between sessions. Overtraining can lead to injury, fatigue and decreased performance.
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