When I was in the process of losing 160 lbs, I used high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as my go-to for most exercise. The reasons are plentiful. The science around metabolism was transforming at the time and I was ready to burn fat quickly.
What I found is that it is also a powerful practice for mindset and emotional training. Which in turn, has helped me in my love life.
The practice is simple. You do very high-intensity exercise for a short burst of time, increasing heart rate to a very high level. Followed by a short rest period to allow for your heart rate to go down. There are a lot of different ways to do it.
How To Start
- If you are a self-starter then there are two ways to go. First, you can start doing interval training on jogs, bike rides or cardio machines. Do some research and find out what length of high vs. low intervals are appropriate for your fitness level and the cardio you enjoy. I started on the treadmill, doing 1-minute sprints and 1-minute walks. And I know plenty of people who do this on stationary bikes or ellipticals too. Or you can do this with bodyweight workouts. Choose 9 exercises, group them into “supersets” of 3 exercises. Then do all three without rest, followed by a minute of rest and continue on to the next “superset” of 3. Continue for 3 total rounds. There are many interval timers and Tabata timers available to download for free. Use them and get to it.
- For most people, I’d recommend classes. Many gyms now have HIIT classes, as an option, multiple times per week. Orange Theory fitness and other boutique fitness studios focus on offering high-intensity interval training which keeps members engaged with variety. No two workouts are the same. If you have a personal trainer, you can ask them to prepare a few HIIT workouts for you.
How it Impacts Your Health
Simply put, research has shown that it trains your heart to be able to withstand spikes and dips in heart rate. That alone is worth the effort. Other benefits include more metabolic benefit in shorter workouts, burning more calories in less time. Some research shows that, if done correctly, it can increase the production of human growth hormone. Other research has shown that it can improve your body’s ability to maximize oxygen usage. And one of my favorite benefits is that it can condition your mind to make less intense exercise seem easy.
I often hear from men that they can bore easily of their workouts. With HIIT it’s almost impossible to be bored if you are giving full effort, and it’s really easy to mix things up and create variety. One of my jobs is to remind you that the “best exercise” isn’t always the best. The exercise that keeps you engaged and that you will do with consistency over the long haul is far better than the “best” or “right” exercise.
How it Impacts Your Love Life
Any physical activity that helps you improve cardiovascular and pulmonary health is good for your love life. When we are fitter and healthier, we are more confident and present. When we are more confident and present, we show up better for our partners and lovers. When we have better physical health, we have better sexual health and time in the bedroom is much more enjoyable for all.
More importantly, HIIT teaches you how to create more awareness of tempo, tone, energy, and levels of intensity within your physical body and your mind. This translates to a quality first date and to the 10,000th time you’ve made love to your wife. When we are more aware of our bodies and what they are capable of, we are more in tune with ourselves.
It doesn’t matter if you are in a really difficult conversation with your partner, moving through a break-up, or pleasing your partner sexually, being more in touch with your emotions, hormones, energy, intuition, and physical body will always pay off. Whether what you are experiencing in your love life is pleasurable, challenging, rewarding or painful, HIIT is a symbolic “practice field” for the ups and downs of love and life.
So now you’ve got some information. I’ll consistently remind you that information is not transformation. When it’s time to implement the information, create practices and change your life…you know who to call.
It’s your turn!