by Clarissa Hartley

For many, the term High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, evokes images of teeth-gritted, hardcore workouts that leave your joints aching for days. However, fitness needn’t be a grueling test of your limits. The fusion of high intensity with low impact exercises yields a fitness routine that equally rewards your body. Enter: low-impact HIIT, a beacon of hope for joint longevity.

HIIT, a practice that integrates intense exercises followed by brief recovery periods, is reputable for its myriad of fitness benefits. Studies indicate its effectiveness as a substitute for conventional aerobic activities due to its proficiency in boosting VO2 max energy utilization. Moreover, it’s recognized for heightening resting metabolic rate (RMR), leading bodies to burn calories for hours post-exercise.

While the merits of traditional HIIT are numerous, the high-impact nature of these workouts (think weighted box jumps or sprinting) can prove taxing on the body. Repetitive high-impact movements can produce excessive joint stress and pose injury risk without an adequate foundation of fitness. Accordingly, it may not be appropriate as daily fitness regimen.

Thankfully, the answer lies in low-impact HIIT workouts. Centred around high-intensity yet gentler motions, these routines aim to minimize joint strain while maximizing intensity. Using specialized workout machinery like Speedflex, these workouts are designed to omit joint impact, enabling maximum effort workouts sans the dreaded delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

You don’t require gym membership to embrace low-impact HIIT workouts. Bodyweight exercises offer an effective approach to enhance strength, cardiovascular fitness, and athletic power — all from the comfort of your home. Featuring six fluid exercises inspired by the Fortis fitness class, here’s your guide to introducing low-impact HIIT workouts into your routine.

Each exercise is to be carried out for 40 seconds, separated by a breather of 15 seconds, and repeated across three rounds: Cross-body Punches, Air Slams, Sumo Squat to Knee Raise, Plank Knee-Taps, 3-Way Lunge, and Glute Bridge to Sit Up.

Read on for a comprehensive guide on executing each exercise with utmost efficiency and safety.

Note: If you’re interested in integrating more such workouts into your routine, or looking to participate in group sessions, the digital world offers many solutions. Consider accessing digital platforms that offer a wide array of fitness classes, including the Fortis fitness class and many others.

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