The holiday season is a time for celebration, and maybe even a little overindulgence, but that doesn’t mean your fitness has to take a back seat. With the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, finding time to work out can be a challenge. That’s where Reduced Exertion High Intensity Interval Training (REHIIT) comes in.

REHIIT is a super efficient, science-based, short-term workout method. Research findings suggest personalised REHIIT offers a time-efficient alternative to traditional HIIT for improving metabolic health and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, among other benefits.
While research on REHIIT is relatively new and the most effective outcomes require use of specialised equipment, there is no reason you can’t experiment with your home or commercial gym equipment, or even a steep hill!

A beneficial workout mode for the busy holiday season

REHIIT is a modified version of traditional High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), designed to give you maximum benefits in a shorter time and with less strain on your body. HIIT combines short bursts of intense exercise with rest or low-intensity periods, enhancing the body’s ability to use insulin effectively, burn calories at rest, and produce additional mitochondria, therefore increasing energy output/work capacity.

REHIIT is designed to be less strenuous, while still providing all the same health benefits. It uses a small number of high-intensity ‘sprints’ in a workout; just 2 x 20-second sprints, 3 times a week, making it perfect to fit into your busy Christmas schedule. The main advantages of this form of training are:
• Time saving: only needing 10-15 minutes, REHIIT is a great way to sneak in a quick workout between festive activities.
• Efficient fat burning: short bursts of intense exercise help keep metabolism ‘revved up’, making it easier to metabolise holiday treats.
• Less strain, more gain: unlike HIIT, REHIIT reduces the strain on your body while still giving you great results, so you can stay active without feeling worn out. REHIIT is a recommended active recovery method to lower training volume without lowering intensity.

Here is a basic REHIIT workout you could do at home on a bike, rower, stepper or steep hill:
• Total time: around 10 minutes
• Warm up
• Maximum intensity sprint 1 (20 seconds)
• Complete rest (2-5 minutes) – complete meaning that you rest enough to be able to do another maximum intensity sprint at the same level of intensity as the first
• Maximum intensity sprint 2 (20 seconds)
• Cool down

While it may not seem like ‘sufficient’ exercise to make a difference, complete this workout three times a week and you could start to see some results.

REHIIT is a fantastic way to stay fit and healthy this Christmas, whether you’re squeezing in a workout before Christmas dinner, between shopping and socialising, or just looking to maintain fitness through a busy period.

Have a great festive season!