It's easy to get addicted to high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. They are short in time, melt fat and build muscle. In addition, they give you the best exercise effect that will make you feel like running a marathon. While it's tempting to get into HIIT every day, it's not always the best idea for your body.
When you do HIIT, your body releases cortisol , the stress hormone, which causes an increase in your heart and breathing rates, pulse rate, and blood pressure. This makes it a good physical stressor because it activates your body's fight or flight response without burdening you with health problems.
But if you do too much, it can keep your cortisol levels through the roof when combined with other life stressors (like the COVID-19 pandemic). And that's where you get in trouble because it puts your body in a chronic state of stress, which can lead to weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes.
5 effects of doing HIIT workouts every day
Your heart could work too hard
This type is a cardiovascular exercise, so it naturally increases the heart rate and the oxygen demand in the blood.
During HIIT, your heart works harder, which means that Your blood pressure and heart rate rise at higher rates than low intensity steady-state exercise. Higher cardiac output can result in increased arterial dilation, which expands blood vessels and increases blood flow.
This increased oxygen demand during exercise, followed by rest, helps the heart be more efficient. Therefore, the heart not only pumps blood better, it can pump more blood with each beat, all of which can lower blood pressure and ultimately lower blood pressure.
In addition, HIIT training increases t us energy and endurance levels, which are associated with a reduced risk of heart attack. In fact, it's a great way to stick to physical activity guidelines and lower your risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a July 2019 article in the World Journal of Cardiology.
Even though this type of training can do great things for your heart, you should avoid doing it every day. The key is to do a variety of exercises and not do the same exercises every time.
If you have a heart condition , ask your doctor before starting a high intensity routine. You may need to adjust the intensity of your workout. Signs that you might be overexerting yourself during exercise include shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness , according to Harvard Health Publishing. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop exercising and call your doctor.
Your fast-twitch muscle fibers become more fatigued
During HIIT workouts, your body activates fast-twitch muscle fibers. FYI, it has two main muscle fibers: type I (slow twitch) and type II (fast twitch).
Type II muscle fibers, which are denser and larger, are used for short, powerful exercises that bring you closer to exhaustion. Think of explosive moves like sprints while running or cycling, burpees, and box jumps , all of which are classic HIIT moves.
Although fast-twitch muscle fibers generate energy quickly, they also fatigue faster and require more recovery. This is why you can't do jump squats like there's no tomorrow. And after exerting yourself for a short time, your body needs about a minute of rest to refuel your muscles before it's ready to handle another round.
Although the foundation is cardio, taking advantage of fast-twitch muscle fibers also encourages muscle growth and strength, giving you cardiovascular and strength benefits.
But be careful not to overdo it; It's best to only do HIIT two or three times a week.
We are all different with unique strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone can do their best every day without injury. Which means that for some, doing HIIT three to five times a week feels like a walk in the park, while for others two or three a week may suffice.
Your body cannot recover
There is no question that HIIT training is a calorie buster. You consume too much oxygen after exercise (EPOC), and your body suffers from an afterburner effect when you do such a workout because it creates an oxygen deficit.
After an intense workout, your body needs additional oxygen to return to its normal metabolic state, and in this process, it burns more calories 24 to 48 hours after your workout ends.
The higher the intensity of the workout, the more oxygen is required to recover, which means your system is working to catch up long after you've left the gym, compared to moderate intensity cardio.
While you're in the afterburner zone, you're also burning tons of fat. The goal of the high intensity portion of your workout is to move from the aerobic to the anaerobic zone, which helps burn fat.
Still, you should avoid doing these workouts every day to avoid overtraining and injury . Doing too much high intensity exercise, or any form of exercise, too frequently without proper recovery can also lead to metabolic problems, including overtraining syndrome and lactic acid build-up, all of which can put a great distance between you and your objectives.
Your immunity can be weakened
There is a lot of research showing that exercising can help strengthen your immune system, but doing too much, especially HIIT, every day can backfire.
According to a May 2017 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology, high intensity exercise without adequate recovery can cause your overall immunity to drop, making you more susceptible to infection. If you continue training with low immunity, you increase the chance of more infections.
You have to find a balance so that your body can work efficiently and effectively. Having a balanced exercise routine that includes rest days and is accompanied by a daily routine of balanced eating, plenty of water and other hydrating fluids, such as caffeine-free tea and broths, will keep your body healthy and able to fight disease.
Since HIIT forces you to work hard with minimal rest, you should take a few recovery days between sessions to allow your muscles to recharge. Doing high intensity interval training two to three times a week is enough to reap its benefits without going overboard.
Your joints could suffer
When done correctly, exercise is generally safe, but it does have some inherent risks of injury. As it is packed with plyometric movements, it can put extra pressure on the joints.
The most common injuries associated with these workouts occur to the lower extremities, such as knee or ankle sprains and muscle or tendon strains , which can also occur with other high-impact activities, such as running and jumping.
There is also the risk of back and shoulder injuries, which can be associated with repeatedly bending or standing up.
To help keep injuries at bay, it is important to maintain good form or neuromuscular control , especially if you are fatigued. Starting out slow, then building speed and stamina over time is key too. Proper recovery and stretching are also essential.
