Conway McLean, DPM, Journal columnist

These days of inactivity have led to negative health consequences for many Americans. Being homebound means less physical movement, less exercise, and often no trips to the gym (especially since most remain closed). Some of us have a home gym of sorts, whether it’s a stationary bike or a set of weights but, overall, fitness levels of too many Americans have worsened. By and large, we are overweight and out-of-shape.

The number of fitness regimens promoted over the years is almost beyond reckoning, from jazzercise to spin class, Zumba to the jogging craze. Some have withstood the test of time, while others have passed by the wayside. How about ‘hot yoga’? Sounds a bit like torture. But fitness is obviously a desirable goal, from improved vitality and energy levels, to reducing your susceptibility to disease. For others, weight loss is the primary motivation. Regardless of your reasoning, and there are many, fitness is important.

So, you have decided to commit to getting fit. What is the best approach? What kind of regimen is most effective? Naturally, there are numerous factors to consider in this equation, but if you want efficient use of your work-out time, use HIIT techniques. This stands for ‘High Intensity Interval Training’. Interval training refers to short bursts of intensive activity interspersed with periods of recovery.

If your goal is to burn more calories without spending more time at the gym, it would be wise to utilize the concept of interval training. Once the exclusive domain of elite athletes, these methods can be incorporated into the exercise plan for your average Joe. This provides the biggest “bang for your buck” if you are interested in burning off some of those unwanted calories.

Many experts recommend 2 ½ hours of exercise per week for the average adult. If you aren’t able to put in that kind of time, or you simply want to get the best results in the least time possible, make use of interval training techniques. The concept is not nearly as complicated as you might think or as involved as it is sometimes presented. The key to high intensity interval training is that you’re spiking your heart rate and recovering in short intervals.

HIIT can be employed in most any type of workout program since most any exercise can be performed at varying intensities. You can do HIIT while running, spinning, jumping rope, even walking. Using the latter as an example, if you’re in decent shape, you could add short bursts of jogging into your regular brisk walks. If not, you might mix into a sedate stroll periods of faster walking.

The benefits to your health are multiple, one of the most popular being an increase in calories burned. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories consumed, even if you increase your pace or intensity for only a short time. If you are getting a better workout per minute, you’ll be using your time more efficiently. If you are looking to improve your sports performance, increasing one’s aerobic capacity is an effective way to achieve this. Interval training has been clearly proven to enhance this critical component of fitness.

Many runners, after their warmup, start at their favorite pace, then continue at that rate for the entirety of the run. Unfortunately, the human body is extremely effective at adaptation, be it a new environment or some physically-demanding activity. High intensity interval training prevents some of that adaptation, meaning you are better taxing your energy reserves. An added benefit is less boredom since you’ll be altering your routine and so changing things up.

Interval training can improve many aspects of human physiology. In athletes, it can enhance your ability to deal with the products of muscle exertion (lactic acid), as well as increasing your body’s use of oxygen, its absorption and use during exercise. This measure, expressed as VO2 max, allows an athlete to take in more oxygen while working out. This, in turn, enhances our capability of sustaining longer spans of aerobic effort.

Interval training is an effective way to manage many of the risk factors of certain common diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. The latter is achieved by improving insulin sensitivity, and this results in lower insulin requirements for lowering glucose levels in the blood.

The interval training format triggers an increase in oxygen consumption after exercise. High-intensity workouts require more energy from anaerobic pathways (without oxygen) and can generate greater post-exercise energy expenditures. A high-intensity strength-training workout can add about 10 percent of the energy used in any exercise session.

After warming up for a few minutes, try increasing your workout intensity for 30 seconds, then resume your normal pace. If walking outdoors, you could walk faster between certain landmarks along your path, such as two street signs. How much you pick up the pace, how often you perform one of these intervals, how long you are engaged in the high intensity activity, all these factors are up to you. A safe (and obvious) recommendation is to start slowly. Try doing just one or two higher intensity intervals during each workout initially. As you become more comfortable with the concept, it can be incorporated into almost any form of exercise, increasing the benefits of your training.

But interval training isn’t for everyone. If you have a chronic health condition or you have not been exercising regularly, consult your doctor before trying any new type of exercise, much less interval training. Yet, when used appropriately, HIIT seems to be beneficial for people who are older, more sedentary, or overweight. Like any form of exercise, be judicious about participation, but the research seems to indicate interval training can be safe and beneficial even in people with heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you are thinking about beginning a workout program, it would be wise to consider the use of these principles. A lack of free time isn’t the excuse it used to be. With high intensity interval training, you can get a great workout in less time. Get out and get walking, or running, or whatever form of exercise that works for you. Just “do it,” but do it fast, then slow and then fast again, with the practice of high intensity interval training guiding the way.

Editor’s note: Dr. Conway McLean is a physician practicing foot and ankle medicine in the Upper Peninsula, with a move of his Marquette office to the downtown area. McLean has lectured internationally on wound care and surgery, being double board certified in surgery, and also in wound care. He has a sub-specialty in foot-ankle orthotics. Dr. McLean welcomes questions or comments at drcmclean@outlook.com.