Slogging it out on the elliptical for 45 minutes is not the only way to get a good workout.
Short bursts of extreme exercise are just as effective, if not more so, in burning fat and increasing one’s metabolism, according to Nancy McCaffrey, certified personal trainer and health coach.
McCaffrey is offering H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training) It, a full-body cardio and strength workout, at Bachman Community Center Wednesdays beginning Feb. 5 from 9:30-10:15 a.m.
The fast-paced workout strategy alternates short periods of intense exercise with recovery periods, McCaffrey explained.
“You’re trying to get a lot of cardio in in a short period of time,” she said of the workout, in which participants use a variety of equipment as well as bodyweight exercises. “There’s been research that found there’s actually more benefits than jogging at a steady pace for half an hour.”