According to fitness industry expert and founder of the 30 Minute Blitz, Carlos Elysee, there is a misconception that high intensity interval training (HIIT) requires a lot of pressure or force on the body in order to create the intense workouts that are designed to make you sweat and fatigue in a short space of time. Carlos is adamant that this is not the case at all. In fact, Carlos believes high intensity training is more effective when it is undertaken in a low impact way.
“The key with any type of exercise is to do what is manageable on the body and doesn’t cause unwanted stress or injury. Exercise has to be sustainable. Exercise is not enjoyable or effective if you keep injuring yourself or feel dejected because you can’t keep up with the level of physical intensity involved.
“Low impact training is all about working the body using body weight as the key force. It can also be undertaken anywhere and doesn’t require equipment or gym membership.
“My 10 Minute program is designed to introduce people to exercise on a daily basis assisting them to graduate to more intensive programs like the 30 Minute Blitz, as they get fitter. My low impact regime can be done in the lounge room and include movements and exercises such as:
- 1 minute shadow punches (10 left right combinations then a squat/duck for 1 minute)
- 1 minute plank
- 1 minute burpees (without the jump and step out into the push up position)
- 1 minute tricep dips (on the edge of a sturdy coffee table)
- 1 minute butterfly squats (from squat position up onto the toes with arms up high and out wide)
- 1 minute standing knee raises (standing position alternate knees to the chest)
- 1 minute push ups
- 1 minute cycle (lying on your back and rotate the legs in a cycle motion)
- 1 minute calf raises (simply stand with arms folded across the chest, up onto the toes and down rapidly for the minute, after 30 seconds you’ll know what I mean)
- 1 minute shoulder press (hold a 1 litre drink bottle in each hand, military press for the minute)
- 1 minute wall sit (lean against a wall, in a 90 degree angle seated position)
- 1 minute crunches (raising solely shoulders off the ground)
- 1 minute lateral shuffle (keeping body low shuffle 5 steps side to side)
- 1 minute V ups (lying on the back, raise legs and upper body into V shape, touch the toes)
- 1 minute bicep curls (use anything with some weight, from drink bottles to vases)
“Even though these exercises are low impact, they are high intensity and you’ll find that your heart rate rises, muscles burn, sweat pours and the fat runs away, without any high impact on the body.
Check out more high intensity low impact (HILI) exercises using body weight here!
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Great article! I do three HIIT sessions a week ( one with my trainer) and I love it. My bones will thank me well into old age. It is never boring and can be done anywhere.