One of the hot trends right now in the fitness world are HIIT workouts. These are great because you get the aerobic and metabolic benefits without the time and equipment needed when doing your average cardio and weight lifting exercises at the gym. Sometimes when doing these fast movements, especially after sitting at your work desk all day, you run the risk of injuring your back. One way to avoid this, besides the obvious pre-workout warm-up and post-workout stretching, is concentrating on core exercises and holding the core tight at all times. You should focus on doing this throughout the day. Keeping the core engaged and slightly flexed about 15% throughout the day will help to maintain posture and help you to avoid an injury. Also, remember during a HIIT workout it’s about alternating between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less intense activity or rest. You do not need high impact movements to reap the benefit of a HIIT workout!
Your average weekend warrior may want to steer clear of the Olympic lifts for now. If you decide to add some high impact exercises into your routine remember to wear the proper joint support. For knee support something light weight and breathable like the EK-1 or EK-3 from Zamst is ideal. For the lower back Zamst offers the ZW-5 or ZW-7 that helps provide necessary support. Bracing can be used post trauma or as a preventative measure. Just remember there are plenty of effective HIIT exercises that if done correctly can be safe and fun to do!
Here’s a list of some great exercises to try out:
Goblet squats, Front squats, Back squats, Deadlift press, Bench press, Pullups, Pushups, Dips, Burpees, Body weight squats, Ring rows, Lunges, Kettle bell swings, Turkish get ups, Farmers walk, Rowing, Running, Jumping rope, Bear crawls, Broad jumps
