Get Fit In A 7 Minute Workout!
I am a huge advocate for HIIT (High Intensity Interval Workouts) in order to get a huge impact on my health in a short amount of time. Today, my workout time schedule just got SO MUCH BETTER! A study has come out that says that a 7 minute workout (HIIT) is the was to go, with fat loss, weight loss, improved VO2 Max, and decreased insulin resistance listed as just a few benefits.
After reading this study, you’ll have no more excuses- but can use your extra “gym time” for some extra “me time” and no one has to know!
I’ve also found that after reading the book, Eat Stop Eat, which is all about Intermittent Fasting, I really understood exactly how I can lose the weight – and keep it all as well! It’s something I have started within the past 4 months, and I’ve already lost 21 pounds! I don’t think I can attribute the weight loss to just one thing, but the combination of both the intermittent fasting, and the HIIT workouts, like the one below, are amazing! Click Here!
While 7 minute workouts are absolutely something that can be done in the comfort of your own home, they can also be enhanced by using the right gym equipment. I’m not going to get into the specific details here, but I’ve found an amazing article, How to Choose Exercise Equipment, According to Science, by Jen Miller (Jen Reviews), which really breaks down how select the perfect gym equipment for your needs – a beginner friendly article!
Proven Benefits of a 7-Minute Workout
The HICT program developed by Klika and Jordan was loosely based on circuit-style training that was first developed by R.E. Morgan and G.T. Anderson in 1953 at the University of Leeds in England.
Their program included nine to 12 exercises that were performed at moderate intensity for a specified number of repetitions or amount of time. Improvements in muscle strength, endurance and aerobic fitness were noted. The featured study also explained multiple benefits for their HICT workout, including:3
Fat Loss and Weight Loss
HICT involves using multiple large muscles with very little rest between sets, yielding aerobic and metabolic benefits, the latter of which may continue for up to 72 hours after the workout has been completed.
HICT may lead to greater fat loss than typical aerobics or resistance training because it increases levels of catecholamines (which increase resting energy expenditure) and human growth hormone (HGH) in your blood.
Improved VO2 Max
VO2 maxes the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in while exercising. Your VO2 max can be used as a measure of cardiovascular endurance. “When HICT protocols have been compare with traditional steady state protocols in the laboratory, HICT elicits similar and sometimes greater gains in VO2 max despite significantly lower exercise volume,” they wrote.4
Decreased Insulin Resistance
Research supports the use of HICT (and HIIT) for reducing insulin resistance, which is a contributing factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. Unfit but otherwise healthy middle-aged adults were able to improve their insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation after just two weeks of such training (three sessions per week).5
A follow-up study also found that HIIT positively impacted insulin sensitivity. The study involved people with type 2 diabetes, and just one session was able to improve blood sugar regulation for the next 24 hours.6 Kilka and Jordan added, “Positive changes have been observed in insulin resistance in as little as eight minutes per week when executed at an intensity more than 100 [percent] VO2 max.”7
With all of those amazing benefits, I decided to give it a try myself, and here’s the video that I found has the best 7 minute workout.
The moves that they use to help burn fat quickly, and lose those extra pounds in a 7 minute workout are:
1 – jumping jacks (aerobic exercise)
2 – wall squats (for legs and buttocks)
3 – push-ups (for arm muscles, chest and shoulders)
4 – crunches (for abs)
5 – step up (for legs and buttocks)
6 – squats (for legs and buttocks)
7 – triceps dips
8 – plank (for abs and flat tummy)
9 – high knee run (cardio and abdomen)
10 – lunges (legs)
11 – Side plank (oblique muscles – hips)
12 – pushups with rotation (to train arms, chest and shoulders)
A special thanks to Dr. Mercola, who’s full article can be found here.
